Vengeance
by firebunee
Summary: The sequal to Waylon County High. Darren Thompson has escaped after only a few days in lock up. It has taken no time to catch up with an injured Tom Hanson. It's going to take more than Booker and Penhall to save him before Darren gets his revenge.
1. Chapter 1

**Well, the long awaited sequal to Waylon County High is here... **

**Chapter 1**

Hanson yawned as he slowly sat up in bed. He had heard a knock at the door. He flinched as he felt a pull at the tender skin beneath the gauze bandage on his stomach. His ribs were taped where he had been having trouble breathing from the previous damage. It was amazing he hadn't actually had any broken ribs from the assault of Darren Thompson and the endless compression when he came close to loosing his life.

"_They're bruised, but there is a chance you were going to have a little trouble breathing, so we're gonna go ahead and wrap you really good."_ The doctor had explained. Hanson had welcomed anything to help as it had been almost suffocating more than once from the damage to his chest.

Hanson sat bare chested in his sleeping pants looking around the room. Booker had laughed at Hanson trying to deal with the grey and white hospital gown while walking up and down the hallway. He and Penhall had decided to get him a nice pair of flannel sleeping pants so he could loose the gown. Hanson had been overjoyed when the twosome had brought the blue and red flannel bottoms to him. His wrists were wrapped in white gauze strips as the lacerations on his wrists were bad enough there was fear they would become infected. He heard the knock again. Hanson cleared his throat and responded "Come in."

The door opened slowly revealing a petite blue eyed girl… Lexi George.

"_Shit_." Hanson thought to himself. His heart sank as she stared blankly at the officer in the bed in front of her. She faked a smile as the officer looked back. She was wearing very form fitting blue jeans with small embroidered flowers and sequins running down the seams. She wore a letterman's jacket with leather sleeves. Her perfectly sun streaked hair flowed down across the back of the purple and gold jacket. The face of an Indian adorning the back of the wool jacket, on the front the name Darren Thompson was stitched across it.

"Hi." Hanson stated as the girl meandered into the room. She was looking out the window of his room and down into the parking lot. She seemed distracted with her hands in her pockets she barley gave him a _hello_. Hanson watched as she stopped at the window and continued to start out. She was lost in thought. Perhaps lost in the idea that her perfect boyfriend was going to do serious jail time for the murder, whatever it was she was distracted.

"Tommy…" she asked looking at the confused officer.

"Yeah." He responded. He was watching her as she looked one more time out the window and smiled. Then turned and walked over towards the bed where Hanson sat running his fingers through his hair.

"Is it true?" She asked as she approached the young officer.

"Is what true?" Hanson asked furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

"Are you a cop?" She was standing next to the officer fumbling with something in her pocket.

"What?" Hanson asked. He was starting to get nervous as she got closer to him. _How did she find out about him?_ They were still officially undercover until the charges were filed and Dean released them. Dean wanted to be sure that all the responsible parties from the murder of Kirk Davis were officially charged. Until that happened Dean wanted to keep Booker, Penhall and Hanson undercover in Waylon.

"I don't…" Hanson froze midsentence as Lexi pulled a small .9mm handgun out of her pocket and shoved it into Hanson's face.

"I know that you are a cop." She stated very agitated. She cocked the hammer on the weapon and ordered the officer out of the bed.

Hanson stood slowly clutching his side where her boyfriend had buried his knife in his stomach. Hanson stood still as she circled him looking him up and down like a piece of meat. Hanson started to turn and face her as she threw a flannel button up shirt at the officer.

"Put this on and walk." She ordered.

"Lexi… whatever he told you to do…" Hanson tried to reason with the young girl.

"Shut up… just shut up and move." She raised her voice. She pointed the weapon at the officer again with her shaking hand.

"I… Lexi… please…"

"Shut up and go now. Put your arm around me and walk with me now." Hanson looked at the young girl giving him orders. He swallowed hard. He knew it was fall outside and he had no shoes and the little bit of clothing he had on wasn't going to prevent him from getting cold. He was wishing that the nurse hadn't taken the I.V. out of his arm the day before. "I will have this in my pocket and if you do something stupid I will use this."

Hanson looked at Lexi one more time as she pushed the weapon into his injured ribs. Hanson flinched and put his arm around her shoulder. The two walked out of the officer's room and down the hallway.

"Is everything alright Officer Hanson?" Tom wanted to die right then as the nurse officially blew his cover. Tom stopped and looked back at the nurse who was standing at her desk.

"Uh… yeah… I just need to step out and take a smoke break." Hanson stated hoping that his answer would indicate that there was trouble. The nurse looked at the young officer's charts and than at the officer and shrugged her shoulder and stated "Ok." She sat down and began working again.

Hanson walked slowly to the elevator. The two stepped into the small box shaped lift and Lexi pushed the button indicating _LEVEL 1_. The doors closed with a beep and then the lift began to move slowly down.

"I knew it." She responded. "Darren was right."

"Darren…" Hanson started to move away from the student when she pulled the weapon from her pocket and pointed at the officer again. The elevator came to a stop and she quickly pocketed the weapon and grabbed a hold of his half buttoned shirt walking him out of the elevator through the vacant lobby and out the doors.

The air was warm but it still had the light nip of fall in the air. Hanson hadn't been out in the sun for nearly five days since his brush with death. The bright sunlight flooded his eyes and he put a hand up to shield his eyes. Without missing a beat she yanked the officer's shirt and pulled him in the direction of a brown Pontiac near a corner of the building where a man wait with his face covered by a blue ball cap. There was little activity today at the hospital laving no way for Hanson to even try and signal for help. The young girl shoved the officer into the waiting man who lifted the bill on his cap to reveal Darren Thompson.

Hanson gasped as he froze in place his hand cupping his damaged stomach. He felt a nervous knot rise in his stomach as he stared into the face of his tormentor. _This couldn't be he was supposed to be in jail. How on earth did he rope this good girl into doing his evil deeds? _

"Hello Officer Tommy Hanson." Darren smiled at Tom while using an overly friendly voice. He popped the officer in the stomach his fist landing directly over where Darren had driven a knife into Hanson's stomach. The officer crumpled dropping to his knees holding his stomach. It was like a thousand blinding lights all hitting him at once when he felt Darren's hit. The student was powerful and the damage he had just inflicted on Hanson was felt all through his body.

Darren grabbed a handful of Hanson's hair dragging the young officer to his feet. Hanson held tight to the rubber gasket and top of the trunk which Lexi had hit a button to open. Hanson sucked a deep breath in through his clinched teeth. He looked up at Darren who glared back at Hanson.

"Don't do this Darren… don't get Lexi…" Darren interrupted Hanson by pulling the officer in towards him. His icy stare bore down on the officer.

"Get in the trunk." He stated. Hanson shook his head.

"Darren… don't do this…" Hanson tried to push past the bigger man who lifted the officer off of his feet by his collar ripping the material as he shoved the injured man into the confined back end of the car slamming the lid closed over his prisoner.

**So what did YOU think?? Let me know!!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the kind reviews and comments on chapter one. I am so glad that I have gotten so many positive responses. I honestly didn't realize you all loved Waylon County High so much... I thought it was only me who did! You are so great:-) I love ya'll so much for that!**

**Chapter 2**

Doug tiptoed into Hanson's room bearing a stack of magazines and candy. Hanson had complained about an endless sweet tooth for two days and the nurse wouldn't let him have anything. Penhall smiled as he pushed the door open expecting to find a bed with a sleeping Hanson in it, only the bed was empty. The sheets were draped to the side of the bed and falling onto the floor his unfinished lunch tray sat cooling to the side of the bed. The television was broadcasting the afternoon soap opera's. _Why would Hanson be watching that? _Penhall was a little confused, but he laid the stack of magazines on the chair with his jacket and walked out to the nurse's station. The young nurse was quietly typing information into the computer when the youthful police officer approached the desk.

"Uh excuse me miss." Penhall stated.

"Yes." She looked up at the officer removing her glasses to get a better look at the man in front of her.

"Uh, my friend… Tom Hanson… he isn't in his room. Did they take him for testing or something?" Penhall questioned. There was some minor internal damage and it would have made sense that Hanson would have had to undergo some testing.

"Hang on…" the nurse put her glasses back on and reached down to pick up his chart and then looked up. "Wait… I remember… he went out for a smoke a little while ago." She responded. "I think he had his girlfriend with him."

Penhall looked up in a panic at the response from the nurse as she sat down and began typing at the computer in front of her. _Hanson didn't smoke. He and Booker had argued more than once about the dangers of cigarette smoke. Girlfriend… he and Jackie had broken up and she wasn't about to come and visit him in Waylon County of all places._

"Did you say smoke… he went out for a smoke?" Penhall's stomach knotted. The words were foreign to him and the idea of Tom smoking was too absurd to him.

"Yeah… he said he was going for a smoke and he would be fine." The nurse responded. She seemed to be getting a agitated at the man in front of her who kept distracting her from her work with these questions. "I asked if he needed anything, but he said he was fine." She replied impatiently.

"Tommy doesn't smoke…" Penhall shook his head at the nurse who stopped immediately and looked up at the officer in front of her. "He doesn't have a girlfriend either."

"Sir…" the nurse started.

"What did his girlfriend look like?" Penhall asked as he felt the distinctive feeling of horror rise in him.

"Brown hair with blond highlights, she was short wearing a purple and gold letterman's jacket." She replied in an anxious uneasy tone. "She was a pretty little girl, had a nice tan. The two looked really nice together." The nurse was starting to feel panic consume her as she remembered Hanson had walked out to smoke twenty minutes before her own break which had been almost an hour ago. "Sir… he's been gong for almost an hour."

"Oh GOD, Hanson…" Penhall stated as he bolted down the hall to the nearest pay phone. _What the hell had happened to my best friend?_

--

"Hello." Angie Miller's voice rang clearly across the receiver Doug Penhall had held to his ear. He swallowed hard as he returned her greeting.

"Hello, Angie… is Dennis there?" He asked hurriedly. He felt dread as each minute ticked by. Hanson had been missing for an hour at least and nobody seemed to know more than that.

"Sure Doug… he's in the kitchen. Is everything ok?" She could tell by the alarm in his voice everything was not ok. She had only had these boys around for two weeks and could easily read them like an open book. They couldn't conceal fear from her. She had been the wife of an officer of the law for too long.

"No, I think that we have a huge problem and I need Booker and Dean down here at the hospital now." He responded.

"Doug… what's wrong?" She demanded.

Penhall knew that she was going to find out sooner or later. He took a deep breath while looking down at his feet. He twisted at the metal cord of the telephone between his long fingers while trying to form the words in his mouth.

"Tommy's missing…"

He heard her gasp into the phone… "Hang on." He heard a thump as she lay the receiver of the phone down on the table. There was a short moment of silence then he could hear Dennis Booker let out a string of profanity as he approached the phone and picked it up.

"Where are you?" Booker asked shortly.

"County Hospital… she told you?" Penhall asked.

"Yeah…What do we know?" Booker asked.

"The nurse told me that he went out for a smoke almost an hour ago and never came back." Penhall told his partner.

"Hanson doesn't smoke." Booker interjected. He was puzzled at the comment that Hanson had gone out for a smoke. He was the one trying to single handedly end the world's addiction to nicotine.

"No shit Dennis… get down here so we can figure out what happened to Tommy before we loose him for good." Penhall responded heatedly.

"Have you called Dean yet?" Booker inquired.

"Yeah, he's on his way." Penhall retorted.

"I'm on my way." Booker added. He bent over to hang up the phone. Quickly he turned and looked back at Angie Miller who stood behind him. She had a brave face on but tears were starting to well up inside the rims of her eyes. He took a step towards her looking down into her terror filled face. Her brow was furrowed as she ran her hands through her wavy hair and then began to wring her hands as she searched for something to occupy her time. "We're gonna find him." He wrapped his arms around her back and shoulders pulling her tightly into his chest. He could feel the hitch of her shoulders as her tears began soak his black t-shirt. It wasn't long before the normally composed woman had pulled herself together and looked up at Dennis.

"I know you will Dennis… just be careful… both of you." She tried to smile at the officer who placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before he turned to run out the door. Angie could hear the powerful rumble of the young officer's black Monte Carlos V8 motor as it roared to life. She heard his tires squeal as he pealed out of the driveway. She knew that the officer would drive too fast as he left to meet Doug and Dean, but she would have too.

--

Hanson felt the car come to a jarring halt after what seemed like forever. He was chilled to the bone and his side burned with the searing pain from the stitched up knife wound in his stomach. He had his right hand cupped over the injury holding the taped on gauze strip. He could feel the sticky crimson liquid oozing from the injury. The doctor had warned him about taking the gauze pad off right now. The area had pulsed to life after Darren had delivered the agonizing blow to his stomach.

"_At this point young man we are trying to prevent infection." _The doctor had advised him. "_You need to keep it as clean as you can and try not to get a rip in any one of those stitches… I am not sure how we were able to stop the bleeding with the twenty total stitches, but we did. I don't want any bleeders from you."_ The doctor had advised the young officer.

The darkness of Tom Hanson's world became instantly brighter as the trunk lid was flung open revealing Darren Thompson and Lexi George.

"Get out." Darren snapped. Hanson was overwhelmed by the brightness of the sky over his head. He had closed his eyes and covered his pale face with his free left arm in a vain attempt to block the blinding light from his sensitive eyes. When Tom Hanson failed to move fast enough to please the short tempered man Darren reached into the car and pulled him out of the car and dropped the injured officer on the ground by the tire.

Hanson landed in an untidy heap. Tom grimaced at the throbbing ache in his damaged side. His bruised ribcage reminded him of the struggle he had had to stay alive while Darren Thompson had done his best to end it. The painful sensation was only the beginning as Darren stooped down and abruptly snapped Tom Hanson up by the ripped shirt collar. Hanson let out a yelp as the tenderness in his side ignited the soreness in his lungs. Tom shivered in the midday sun as Darren held him up by his shirt collar.

"Thought you might need to take care of business before we get the rest of the way to where were heading." He hissed wildly. Darren's cold blue eyed stare stirred up the memories of fear Hanson still felt from the night he spent suspended by his wrists in the rafters of a barn, while bolts of lightning mingled with droplets of water from the sky. He stared back at the bigger man, his thoughts turning to the young female with him. The girl who thought the jock was her hero. Hanson knew he had to try and save the young girl who knew no better.

"Darren, this doesn't need to go on… don't get Lexi mixed up in this… she's a good girl." Hanson pleaded.

Darren angrily backhanded the officer across the face drawing a trickle of blood from Hanson's bottom lip. Lexi came back from the woods beside the car. She looked at Darren with a look of confusion and then back at Tom Hanson who reached up and gingerly wiped the blood from his lip. Hanson then noted the area they were in. There were trees on both sides of a dirt road. The sun was penetrating the trees as the fall wind cut through the foliage.

Hanson looked up at Lexi making eye contact with the young girl. "Lexi, you don't want this…" She looked back at Tom Hanson biting her lower lip. He knew she had seen Darren backhand the officer. He knew that the wheels were turning in her head. He could see the look of remorse on her face as she thought about what she had helped Darren Thompson do. He also saw the look of defiance, common in all teenagers. The look that said, _I'm gonna do whatever the hell I want and you sure as hell aren't gonna stop me. _

"I know what I'm doing… and I'm not going back to that life. So save your breath _Officer Hanson_." The words were cold and frightened. Tom knew that he had gotten to her, but he also knew she was going to fight the world to prove she was right.

"See Tommy… your gonna get us out of here. So I hope you enjoy your trip…" The football player seethed as he drug the officer to his feet and shoved him back into the trunk of the brown and rust colored car slamming the lid securely in place.

**Thanks again and please feel free to let me know how you feel. It helps!**


	3. Chapter 3

**These chapters get a little longer each time... I didn't think you would mind:-)**

**Chapter 3**

"So boys what do we know?" Dean Miller asked Doug Penhall and Dennis Booker as he stood up scratching the five o'clock shadow growing on his chin. He picked up a glass mug containing strong black coffee. He took a long swallow from the cup and then set it back down on the hard surface of the desktop in the meeting room at the Waylon County Police Department. On the wall hung pictures of a van marked "METRO JUVENIAL DETENTION". Its front end was smashed into a tree. The back window appeared to be smashed out from the inside out. The metal grating securing the glass which should have prevented anyone from escape was missing from the window. In the next picture was a metal grating laying on the ground in a pile of broken and shattered glass. The next picture still displayed the remains of two men, correctional officers from the Detention Center. They had been shot in the back from behind. They probably didn't even know they had been hit until it was too late. There were shell casings on the ground scattered in all directions on the ground and inside the van. A set of tire tracks lead away from the scene… who had helped this youth escape; moreover, who had driven the car that carried this juvenile offender away.

When the van failed to arrive at the predetermined destination in the allotted amount of time a search team had been sent out to find it. The search had turned up the van being wrecked at the discovered location. The real fear set in when it was discovered all the shots had been fired inside the van. Someone had supplied a weapon to this child who had taken it and ended the lives of two officers. The real concern at this point wasn't so much how he did it, but what had become of him, the girl who had walked out of the hospital with Officer Tom Hanson and where was the injured Officer Tom Hanson.

"Maybe the security tapes will help." Booker stated. He and another officer had gone to the hospital to secure the recordings of the events leading up to and following the event. They had just returned to the office as Dean signaled for Booker to join him and Penhall in the meeting room. Booker had handed Dean Miller three tapes containing the archived information. The three were labeled ELEVATOR 1, CRITICAL CARE UNIT, and EAST PARKING. There was nothing of the activity in Tom's room as laws prohibited such recordings.

"Video tapes?" Penhall confirmed as he looked at the large, weighty black video cartridges.

"Yeah, apparently they haven't been able to upgrade their security yet. They're probably grainy black and white images." Booker chided. They both knew that anything was better than nothing, but it would have been better to have more advanced technology.

Dean, Booker and Penhall had all sat down together to begin watching the security surveillance tapes. They were in fact grainy and hard to distinguish. Hanson could be seen walking out of his room with flannel a shirt on buttoned only in the middle. He had his arm around the girl who was with him. Her face was familiar… young… she had been a popular girl at Waylon County High…

"Christ Penhall… that's Lexi George…" Booker exploded.

"No… she's a good girl. I mean yeah she's dating the jockstrap of the century, but no…" Penhall shook his head at Booker's accusation. He knew that the events culminating to the confrontation between Hanson and Darren had been over this very girl, but it couldn't be. She was much too smart for this. It was only when the second tape from the elevator was played that Penhall realized Booker was most likely correct in pointing out the possible exponent in this case. She had pulled the gun out and pointed it at Hanson while he was trying to pull away from her in the elevator. The taped revealed her striking face and equally stunning features. She grabbed the officer by the arm while pocketing the weapon. Although she was slighter in stature she had pulled the barefooted officer out the door and out of sight of the camera. As she turned the corner the name on her jacket was reavealed in bold letters… DARREN THOMPSON.

The next taped showed her thrusting Hanson forward into the arms of her waiting boyfriend… Darren Thompson. Penhall and Booker looked at each other in distress as the realization set in that Hanson had been taken by the madman who wanted him dead for merely conversing with his girlfriend. Now, it even appeared that she was going to help take him out. The phone rang in the lobby as the men continued to watch as the assault on the injured Tom Hanson.

"Dean…" an officer approached the door.

"Yeah." Dean replied not even looking up from the film in front of him.

"Dean, there's a phone call for you." The young female officer insisted.

"Take a message please." Dean countered.

"Sir… its Officer Hughes and he said he needs to speak to you urgently." She persisted adamantly. The older man stood up with a sigh hitting the pause button on the vintage video player.

"Boys… get some coffee… sounds like I need to take this." Dean sighed as he walked out of the room and into his officer to his desk. The female officer transferred the call, the phone ringing once when Dean reached down and picked up the receiver.

"Miller…" Dean confirmed to the person on the other end of the phone line. "Oh shit! This isn't… no… fuck! We'll be there in a bit. Call the coroner." Dean slammed the receiver down onto the cradle.

Booker and Penhall slowly inched towards the door. They had heard the word "coroner" and had decided it was time to panic. Doug Penhall held his breath as he watched the stressed older man lean forward in his chair his hands over his face, his salt and pepper hair falling around the surface of his overworked hands. Booker placed a hand on Penhall's shoulder as the two held their breath preparing for the worst.

_This can't be it. Hanson can't be dead. _Penhall said to himself.

Booker looked at the face of the cop standing next to him. He watched the emotions of fear, apprehension, and anxiety shift across his face. He knew that was what he was feeling because he felt the same things. Finally realizing there was no other way to find out than to ask Booker removed his hand from Penhall's shoulder and reached up to gently rap the frame of the door. Dean looked up read eyed at the two young officers who had been agonizing over the possibility that the corner was to pick up the body of their friend… their partner.

"Come in…" Dean Miller said quietly. His eyes were bloodshot and tears were obvious as the young police officers entered the room closing the door behind them.

"Dean…" Booker started. "Who… what…" he stuttered as he tried to come up with the hardest words he had ever tried to form. Tom Hanson was a sometimes uptight and stuffy police officer, but that was his partner and for the most part his friend… sometimes.

"Dean… was that…" Penhall tried to no avail to finish the thoughts of his partner.

"It's Jim Thompson… they found his body. He hung himself in his garage. There's a note pinned to his chest. Said he couldn't live with what he had let his son become. Said he was sorry about everything. I think he was the one who helped Darren escape." Dean stood up and then looked back at the officers faces in front of him. He saw a sigh of relief followed by a slap of reality. Jim Thompson had arrested his son for assaulting and nearly killing Tom Hanson. He had also allowed the young man to access to a weapon to help him escape from his trial. He had released the evil spirit from his imprisonment and wasn't willing to answer for it in this life.

Dean Miller wiped his eyes with the back of his long sleeved flannel shirt and lifted his black Stetson hat placing it on his head. He walked to the door and looked back at the young officers behind him.

"Would you boys mind helping me with this one? I know I…" Dean looked defeated at the floor. He looked exhausted as he tried to ask Penhall and Booker to help him.

"We'll go Dean…" Penhall stated.

"We're family… right?" Booker stated.

--

The car jerked stopped again. It felt like a century later as Hanson lay on his back in the trunk of a stuffy and somewhat cramped rear of the car. He had his left hand cupped over the continually oozing cut on his stomach. He was having a lot of trouble trying to determine how long he had been laying on his back in the dark. Every bump registered in his bruised rib cage. Every turn sent him sliding into the inner wall of the vehicle. He would bite his lip in an effort to not cry out. He fought through each bump and pothole. He knew they were off the beaten path and possibly up in the hills and mountainous region of Waylon County. He had heard the rain as it began to pelt the top of the trunk. He also noted the failing gasket as for a moment Hanson was sure he was going to die as the water began to leak through from the seams. He had fought with his mind that he was in a car sinking in the nearest lake. It was terrifying to him as he wished he was back in the warm soft bed of the Waylon County Hospital.

The lid of the trunk flew open as Hanson was again greeted by bright sunlight and was being rained on also. Darren reached into the vehicle and pulled the officer from the car and let him fall to the muddy ground. Hanson winced at the quickness of the motions. He could feel the throbbing in his side spike to life as he fell to the soggy ground. His pale face raised to the sky as the beads of moisture dripped over his aching frame. He sincerely hoped he would not have to spend the night in the cold rain. He noted the surrounding trees and cabin. A small barn sat isolated in the far corner of the lot.

Darren reached down and lifted the officer to his bare feet and obviously against his own desire helped Hanson to his feet and half dragged the officer into the small cabin. Hanson groaned as he was pulled to his feet and then shoved into the small building.

The cabin itself could have been an inviting and enjoyable accommodation if not for the situation it was being involved in. Hanson noted the small room off to the side of the fireplace as he was dropped down to the floor behind the door. Darren swiftly laced the officer's wrists together in front of him and then bound his ankles together. Hanson wasn't going anywhere. While his two captors were busy with unloading supplies and moving into their hide out Hanson took the time to check the bleeding knife wound.

His breath hissed through his teeth as he tugged at the sticky tape which secured the saturated gauze strip in place. Once clear he looked down and noted the increased puffy and red skin around the thin stripes of dark thread holding the skin in place. He felt the warmth of the skin beneath his fingers as he fumbled with the blood sodden patch of gauze trying to re-secure it in place with the already used tape. The only good thing he noted was that there was noting other than blood seeping from the wound.

Hanson felt eyes on him and glanced up to see Darren's icy stare on him watching his every move. Tom felt as though there was some satisfaction in the face of Darren Thompson as he noted the extent of the injury to his captive. The moment was cut short as Lexi carried over a small metal camping mug filled with water. She started to reach down and hand it to Hanson. Hanson watched her carry the liquid to him noting to himself how thirsty he was. The back of his throat was parched, burning with each natural swallow of saliva. Eagerly Hanson tried to reach for the glass only to be cut off by Darren's hand.

"I'll take care of him, you go get the bed ready… baby." His eyes flickered with wickedness. Lexi glanced at Hanson and then at Darren, a look of mistrust growing in her eyes. She slowly handed the cup to Darren who then squatted down in front of Hanson.

Tom drew his hands back into himself as best he could and prepared to fend off an attack on his already injured body. The larger man leaned in towards the officer while holding the cup next to him.

"Thirsty…" He asked as he lifted the cup to his own lips. Hanson watched as the man toyed with him. Tom swallowed again, the parched blistered feeling on the back of his throat growing as the man looked back at the officer. Darren licked his lips as he looked back down into the cup. Darren swirled the inner contents around and then looked the officer. He held the small mug out towards Hanson who started to reach out to grasp it only to have Darren drop it just shy of Tom's fingers. The cup and its contents spilled over the floor quickly absorbing into the dry cracked boards of the floor. Hanson closed his eyes in defeat as the burning in his throat settled into the rest of his body. Darren cracked his lips in a malevolent smile and then stood up walking away, leaving Hanson alone in his despair.

**Ok, tell me what you think! Thanks again and please send me a review, I love to hear from you all! Thanks again for all the kind words of encouragment... it really means a lot!**


	4. Chapter 4

**So here is chapter 4, I hope you like it! Thanks for all the sweet and thoughtful comments! And before I forget... a HUGE shout out the different countries reading this story... HOLY CRAP! I never realized people in Hong Kong and Australia and Denmark (by the way I visited there once and I LOVED it!! You people rock!! I want to go back to stay!!) The Netherlands, Mylasia... WOW!! Thanks for all of you reading this story! I wish I had time to name all the Countries that I see on my Reader Traffic, but thanks to all of you! Please drop me a line sometime it would be so cool to read what you have to say!! I am so honored!! Love to you ALL!! --Firebunee**

**Enough of that... on to the story!**

**Chapter 4**

Hanson lay on his side his arm folded and lay under his head like a pillow. His knees were curled and drawn up near his body in an attempt to keep warm. The fire that had been roaring in the fireplace had been extinguished by Darren. He had looked back at the officer and winked once before he proceeded into the bedroom closing the door behind him. Hanson was sure that he had heard a scream and a thump, but the door appeared to be fairly tight and he was really exhausted. He was sure he could have put any sound into his head that he wanted at this point. The wind had picked up out side and the cool air seemed to slip in through the cracks of the doors. The bite of the frigid breeze bit into Hanson's already aching joints. His eye lids were heavy as he tried to focus on the knot hole in the wall in front of him. The counted the grains in the wood hoping to fall asleep faster. The chinking in the walls appeared to be cracking and chipping falling out of the walls in places. Hanson's eyes grew heavy as the night wore on. He closed his eyes to the wind as he whipped around the door next to his head, he swore off the pain in his chest and stomach; he tried to forget the way Lexi had looked from him to Darren with skepticism in her eyes.

Hanson nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand settled on his shoulder. He had to sort out the person standing in front of him. He reached up, bother wrists still laced together, and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He had the feeling of pins and needles swimming around just under the skin in his arm. He blinked again as he looked up at the girl in front of him.

"Lex…" her fingers pinned his lips as he recognized her. She had a small dark patch on her right cheek and her bottom lip was cracked and bleeding. Tom's jaw dropped as he let his eyes survey the beauty in front of him. Her once youthful naive and trusting eyes were now tainted with pain and distrust. She had changed. She appeared fearful and tormented. _What had that asshole done to her?_

"This is for you." She handed him the most precious thing he had ever received from anyone. It was a small cup containing water. The precious clear liquid that would tempt him for another one, but she had risked herself, his wrath to give Hanson this small token. "I saw… I saw it all." She glanced down at the floor; she had lost her innocence to him… Tom knew what he had done to her.

"Lexi… you need to get away from here." Hanson choked out in a quiet whisper. Lexi looked up at the officer her blue eyes shedding a substantial single tear. The liquid leaked down her cheek and fell in a large droplet splashing on the floor, another threatened to follow. Hanson placed the mug on the floor and reaching up touched her cheek gently wiping the tear away. She pulled away grasping both of his hands and placing the tin cup back into them.

"Drink this… I-I don't know when I will be able to get you more." Her voice was devastating to Tom as it cracked as she tried to be strong. He could no longer hold the fact that she had waved a gun in his face against her… she had been manipulated again, only this time Darren had gotten what he had wanted out of her, and against her will. She had been raped.

"Lexi… you have to get out of here." Hanson pleaded with her again. He was in fear for her safety more so than his own. She was so young and so beautiful. She shook her head and pushed the tin cup to Hanson's lips forcing him to take a drink.

The liquid was cool, quenching the fire that had burned within his parched throat. He sucked the clear fluid across his lips relishing the simple pleasure contained within the valuable life giving solution. It was cool and clean and not enough. He finished the liquid and handed the cup back to the young woman. She took the cup and looked down at the metal cup. She started to stand up and then looked back down at the officer in front of her.

"Officer Hanson…" she stated.

"Yeah." Hanson responded.

"I'm sorry… I have to go back before he realizes I'm gone." She started to move away from Tom but he caught her small wrist with his hands before she could. He leveled his gaze directly into her eyes. "I gotta go… I'll try and get you a blanket, you're starting look a little cold. Please…let me go… please." Hanson looked down at her delicate fingers; they were laden with dirt at the cuticles. Her nails were chipped at the tips. There were three thin slices across her wrist, not deep but still there. They were bright red as if she had just cut them. He knew that the two of them were in for a rough ride. Hanson released the young girl and painstakingly watched her trudge back into the bedroom quietly closing the door behind her.

--

Dean sat down with the note holding it in his hand;

_Dean,_

_I am so sorry, I let you down. I wish there was something I could have done to make this up to you and make it better for the boys. Tom, Dennis and Doug… they seem like such good boys. This is all my fault, but I just couldn't let Darren go through this trial. I helped him escape. I gave him a gun which he used to kill two men. It was my fault… I just wish you could have known him as a small child. He was so loving when he was young, I just don't know what happened. I loved him; I still love him, no matter what he has done. I just can't believe that he did what he did. I should have let him stand trial for what he had done… I just couldn't. Please understand the love of a father and forgive us both. _

_Jim_

Dean sat back in his chair and examined the picture that had been wrapped in the message. The image was a sign of more joyous times as it depicted a young boy with a pointed and colorful birthday hat on and a father and mother on either side beaming with pride at the tenth birthday of their only son. Jim Thompson had been right… what _had_ happened to that smiling little boy. His eyes dancing with youthful exhilaration and enthusiasm, Dean lay the yellow paper on his desk with the picture. Silently he glanced up as Doug and Dennis stood watch next to the older officer who appeared to be visibly shaken at the sight he had seen. He watched as the coroner aided by two others had cut the rope around Jim's neck and lowered him to the floor. The men then stepped away as group from the crime lab had swarmed to take pictures. The coroner lurked in the corner of the building clutching a large black bag made of thick plastic. Once an adequate number of pictures had been taken the men then returned to the body of the older man to place it in the bag and remove it to the county morgue.

Dean swallowed hard as he glanced around the large garage. There was a tool bench neatly organized with sockets, wrenches, drills and bits. Jim had always been the "go to" guy when it came to fixing something. He had repaired cars, trucks, little red wagons, bicycles; you name it Jim could fix it. Jim had gone out of his way when Dean had taken the job on the Police Department in Waylon County to fix the plumbing and the garbage disposal before he and Angie before had arrived. Dean could remember pulling up to the house seeing a strange vehicle parked outside. Jim had emerged with his wife; Jim was covered in dirt and grease while his wife had finished cleaning the floors of the home. She had left some cookies and a card for the couple who were grateful to meet someone in the new and strange town.

"This is a complete disaster." Dean stated rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Boy's, its dinner time and Angie has food on hold for us." Dean stated as he watched the men load the body of Jim Thompson in the back of the black van. The doors swung shut on the van and the coroner turned and nodded at Dean Miller who returned the nod and then let he gaze fall on the vehicle as it pulled out onto the street and sped off towards town.

"Dean… no offense… but Hanson…" Penhall stammered.

Dean turned and looked into Penhall's eyes and then into Dennis's with a look of irritation and frustration flickering within his own gaze. "There is a woman at my house who has worked all day long to try and get a dinner ready for us. She has been in tears probably ninety percent of this day. She wants to see you two and me. Now, I don't care if you touch any of the food she puts in front of you… but she deserves that much respect. _**She**_ is just as upset about Tom Hanson as _**you**_ and _**you**_ and _**I**_." Dean began. "Now I also have to make a phone call to the Metro Juvenile Corrections Department and tell them that it was one of _my_ officers who equipped his son with the gun that killed two of their men. I also have to call and update Adam Fuller on the status of his missing officer. I don't want to go home either, but that woman back at home deserves that much respect, so you **will** go and you **will** be courteous and sensitive to her feelings to, is that clear?"

Penhall and Booker stood dumfounded. Dean was so calm and collected; he had never once lost his composure in front of the two young officers, or anyone that they knew of.

"Yes sir." The two officers stated in unison. Both got the feeling that this case was starting to ware down the Captain and the officers of the Waylon County Police Department.

--

Angie had melted into tears of frustration and despair as she had been told of the death of James Thompson. She stood in the doorway enveloped in the arms of her husband who held her through the torrent of tears. Booker and Penhall had watched as the emotions of the day spilled from both of the visibly exhausted couple. Within a few minutes the couple had regained their composure. Angie wiping away tears, walked into the arms of Booker and then Penhall. Both men she held tightly as she fought back the tears that threatened to spill over again.

"Your gonna find him… I know you will." She stated her eyes rimmed in red. Booker and Penhall both took turns holding the woman who had stolen their hearts close as they struggled to keep their own emotions in check.

**OK, so tell me what you think!! Thanks again for reading and I will start on the next chapter! Later:-)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Have a great weekend... here is your present:-)**

**Chapter 5**

Hanson awoke with a start at a cool hand on his face. It was still dark outside and the cabin was cold. His hands and feet were already beginning to feel as if they were no longer a part of his body. The lack of circulation created the sensation of pins and needles pinging at the surface of his arms. He was disoriented as his eyes shifted from left to right trying to remember where he was. He coughed as he tried to sit up at the same time noting the stiffness in muscles and joints as he tried to move. The penetrating heat from his side made it difficult to move at all. He felt a sharp throbbing where the gauze strip hung limply to one side. The tape had since failed at its sole job of holding anything in place. Hanson's hands pulled instinctively over his face in a feeble attempt to cover himself and prevent an attack.

"Officer Hanson… please try to sit still… your burning up." Whose voice was that? She was sweet and young… too young to have been his mother. It was only when she leaned closer that he was able to distinguish her face.

"Lexi…" He choked out. His voice was scratchy and rough. The sound made him look sharply up at the young girl trying to mother him. She was so young and beautiful… why had she done this to herself? "My name is still Tom…" he half heartedly stated. Lexi smiled down at him as she lay a blanket over his quivering frame. He had been laying on his side curled into a ball in an attempt to stave off cold chills. Darren had left him lay by the front door where the wind would creep in from beneath a small crack at the base of the door. Hanson had decided that Darren had placed him there to let him know that freedom was just through the door, but since he was injured and he didn't know where the hell he was so he had better stay right where he lay. Darren was the king of toying with people's emotions. He had done it to Lexi, he had done it to Hanson, hell, he probably even screwed with his parents.

Gently Lexi slipped her delicate fingers beneath Hanson's head and lifted it until his lips met the chilling surface of the metal cup containing water. Hanson cringed as the pain in his side spiked to life as he moved. The throbbing tenderness was emphasized by the tightness of the swelling as he moved. He could feel the slight trickle of blood as the muscles in his stomach tightened with the slightest movement. The cool liquid was like a feast to his senses. His parched throat was only getting worse and the fresh liquid helped to calm the fire that seemed to be raging in the back of his throat. Each time Lexi was able to give him a drink Tom would wonder what she had to gone through to get it for him. "Get some sleep…" The sympathetic voice conveyed quietly. She stroked his hair lightly and then placed his head gently down onto the hard wooden floor. She waited a few minutes to see Hanson fall back into a pain fogged half sleep before she moved again.

Lexi then turned and tucked a towel beneath the surface of the door blocking the chill from entering the room. Hanson whimpered slightly as she walked toward the room she was now a prisoner to. She turned and looked back at the badly injured officer who had done nothing but try and protect her since she had met him and then to the man who had betrayed her mentally, physically, and emotionally. She knew she was in over her head. They were supposed to use Hanson as a bargaining tool to get out of the state. He was nothing more than a pawn in Darren's dimly thought out plan. She was so angry with herself for letting him do this to her. She let him twist everything around like Officer Tom Hanson had set him up. That Tom Hanson was the real problem with everything. Whey had she been such a fool for him; she had her whole life ahead of her and now she was a criminal… just like him. As the weight of her actions set in Lexi sank to her knees by the doorframe, conquered by her emotions and silently sobbed.

--

Dennis Booker and Doug Penhall had both fallen asleep in the living room of Dean and Angie Miller's home. One was seated in a chair while the other on the couch. Angie had crept into the room to check on them noting they were lost in silent slumber. She had begged them to lay down when Dean had returned to his officer to pick up some files he had been working on. The boys had wanted to go back out also but had been told he was coming right back and they needed to get some rest.

--

"_You're no good to me asleep on your feet, so get some rest now and we will be back out tomorrow." Dean stated._

"_Dean… this is Tommy… our partner." Penhall had protested._

_Dean sighed deeply. "Look, I have people on this right now. You two are on report at nine in the morning so get some sleep and be back in here then." _

"_But Dean…" Booker had argued rising to his feet from the kitchen table. The two young officers had been struggling with Hanson's disappearance. They had done their best to be understanding with Angie, mindful of Dean but they too were loosing their patience with the system that kept them in check. "…he's hurt, bleeding… hell maybe he's dead… but that's our partner and we need to find him now. Why the hell is it so hard for you all to understand?"_

"_Dennis, Dean, Doug… you guys are on the same team… stop fighting each other and understand that you are all under pressure right now!" Angie declared. She looked around the table as all eyes were resting on her. "I am just as worried and helpless as the three of you. The only problem I have is that I am stuck here while the three of you gallop off to the station house to find our missing boy. I worry about all three of you. I am sick and tired of the fighting and bickering. That won't get us anywhere in finding Tommy." Angie pounded her fist on the counter top as the men continued to be mesmerized by her proclamation. "You three boys are my babies and I am so afraid right now. And Dean, I have stood by you while you have been absorbed in your job for the last twenty years. You have forgotten our anniversary, my birthday, and missed Christmas dinner more than once. I have never complained, not once; so I am not going to stand around and watch the three of you come unglued over this. You __**ARE**__ going to start working together. Tommy is out there somewhere and he needs all of __**us**__ right now to get along and find him. A little prayer wouldn't hurt either. Now boys, your gonna get some rest and Dean… I expect you home in an hour… no buts!"_

_Dennis looked over at Penhall a sly smile spread across his face. "Damn… my mother has invaded Angie's body…"_

"_We'll get the dishes." Penhall interjected before Booker could finish his statement. _

"_I'll take care of this one." Dean slid over to his wife laying a long kiss on her lips and dashing for the door. It appeared that he knew better than to be late when she had informed him to do something._

--

Angie watched silently as Dennis Booker lay in silent slumber on the thick white couch. He laid still on his stomach breathing lightly, his arms folded beneath his jacket. Angie lifted the leather jacket off of his torso and placed it on the back of the couch. Gently she replaced the jacket with a thick multicolored comforter. Booker shifted slightly beneath the warmth of the cover. Gingerly she reached down and swept an errant lock from his forehead. He sighed faintly and then shifted slightly on the couch still lost in sleep. Angie smiled to herself as she reached over and flipped the switch on the light above the couch.

Softly Angie crept over to where Penhall lay lost in a peaceful dream. He lay resting his head to the side snoring slightly. She bit her lip as he shifted and began to snore slightly louder. She lay a full-size coverlet overtop of the big sleeping man. She smiled to herself as she watched Doug continue to snooze as she flipped the overhead light off.

"Goodnight my boys…" She whispered as she turned and walked out of the room.

--

Morning came with a swift kick in Hanson's bruised ribs. The officer jumped and sucked a stinging shallow breath in through his teeth. He winced as the movement jolted the stabbing pain in his overly sensitive lower left side.

"Get up." Darren hissed. Hanson tried to accommodate but could only groan at the slightest movement. He looked down at the area that had once been covered in a strip of gauze the material was gone probably on the floor beneath where he had lay all night. The once trickle fine trickle of blood was now replaced with a sticky yellow crust, the area surrounding his stitches swollen and red. Hanson gritted his teeth and tried to cover the area with his hand. He had to protect it from any further infection. Hanson shook at the chill of the morning air. The high school student sat down in a chair across from where Hanson leaned against a wall.

"So… you are a police officer." He stated. Hanson looked forward at the boy. Darren's piercing blue eyes maintained a steely gaze across to the injured officer.

"Yeah… and you are a complete fool for dragging Lexi into _your_ mess." Hanson retorted.

"Really? What if I told you that she begged me to take her away from this life. She begged me to never leave her. She…"

"She begged you to rape her and beat her and drag her into your mess. What the hell were you thinking Darren? She's a good girl who you're pulling down into your bottomless pit!" Hanson interrupted. His voice was still hoarse but it was stern none the less.

Darren lunged forward grabbing the officer by his already torn shirt collar. With little effort he heaved the slighter man off of the floor and smashed him against the wall knocking the breath out of the officer. Hanson gasped for a single breath his mouth falling open hoping for anything that would help.

"You don't know shit cop! You don't know shit…" Darren then dropped Hanson to the floor. The officer's eyes rolled back into his head as he lost consciousness. Standing in the corner Lexi watched looking on as the officer took a punishing blow for standing up for her battered existence.

"What are you looking at?" Darren hissed as he noted the young girl watching in terror.

"Darren… he's a good person… he…" Darren lunged at the female as she stood helpless against the wall. He smashed his fist into the wall overtop of her head. She yelped in terror as she expected a slap or a hit across her person. He slammed his body up against hers pushing his face next to hers his breath burning against her cheeks. Lexi gasped in fear bracing for an additional impact a single tear running down her already bruised cheek.

"What Lex… you hot for him too. To him, you're just a no count criminal whore. He'll run off get his little cop friends and throw you into a hole just to watch you squirm. Then they'll tell you they want to make a deal. That deal little girl will land you in the county lock if you're lucky. Up where you'll be some bitches lackey. That's if they don't decide to use you for their own amusement first."

Darren continued to hold Lexi against the wall his exhalations rustling the hairs that lay against her face. The minutes felt like forever until Darren spoke again. "I'm going for supplies…"

"When will you be back?" Lexi asked in a shaky voice.

"When I want baby… don't worry I won't forget you." Darren mocked pulling away from her slender body. He walked to the door and slammed it closed behind him. Lexi slipped down the wall and fell to her knees wrapping her arms around her own body, tears streaming down her weary battered face.

**WOW! That was rough. I hope you are enjoying it so far and I hope we can all enjoy the Olympics in Peace. Please read and review... I love getting them!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Read on!**

**Chapter 6**

Angie jumped straight up out of bed as the knocking continued at the door. She looked down at the clock seven a.m. _Who the hell…_ "BAM, BAM, BAM…" Dean woke up and glanced sleepily at Angie as she pulled her robe on and shot down the steps. Dennis Booker and Doug Penhall were asleep in the living room and she didn't want them disturbed until absolutely necessary. She bolted down the hallway to the steps, each one creaking as her scarlet painted toes landed on each timber step. She made it to the first landing to hear the bothered inhalation and exhalation of Penhall and Booker. Pulling the robe tighter around her shoulders she grasped the handle and jerked the door open. On the porch in front of her stood Adam Fuller flanked by Judy Hoffs and Harry Ioki.

"Angie!" Fuller smiled reaching out pulling the woman in for a tight hug. The cool autumn air creeping up her legs as she stood on the porch in front of Ioki and Hoffs who looked on as the surprise reunion sparked to life.

"Adam…" She half yawned a smile spreading across her face. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" She asked.

"Couldn't have you telling me not to." He responded.

Dean walked down the steps in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. He looked at the officer standing in the doorway and smiled. "Adam Fuller… thanks so much for coming." He started to extend his hand in friendship to have it turn into an embrace.

"You knew?" Angie turned to scold her husband. She was standing in her white cotton nightgown and a tattered red terry robe.

"I didn't expect him so early." Dean responded slyly scratching the back of his head.

"Adam, please come in, the boys are sleeping right now. We've been having trouble getting them to just shut down at all. They're taking this whole thing pretty hard." Angie added as she directed the trio past the sleeping boys and into the kitchen. She was grateful that they were so exhausted they had only been partially awakened by the banging on the front door.

"Thank you." Fuller and Ioki stood to the side as Judy entered the front door and was followed by the two other men. As they entered the kitchen Angie looked at the two young officers.

"Let me guess, Judy and Harry?" Angie smiled as she reached over to pull the unsuspecting officer's in for a tight hug.

Judy smiled at the woman. "Yeah, how…"

"Those boys talk a lot, especially about pretty girls. Besides, you don't look much like a "Harry" to me." She winked. Judy and Harry exchanged glances and then laughed at the sudden coolness of her whit.

"Would you folks like some coffee?" Dean asked as he took jackets from his guests.

"That would be great." Harry answered. "It felt like a century before we got here. This is some of the most beautiful country I've seen in a while." He commented.

"We love it here." Angie responded as she reached into the cabinet above the sink to pull out the coffee and filters. "Dean, maybe you can get breakfast going and I'm gonna go get the boys up." She looked up at her husband who smoothed his salt and pepper hair down and flashed a sheepish grin towards Fuller.

"I think I might just be in trouble right now." He commented. Fuller laughed as he looked across the counter at the man tying an apron around his waist. "I'm glad you're here Adam. These boys are going on overtime in a big way. They're torn up and worn down about his whole situation."

"These officers work well together. They are fine individuals, and an even finer team. They aren't partners; they're brothers… and sisters." Fuller pronounced. He knew that Penhall and Booker wouldn't handle the disappearance of Hanson well at all when he had found out the officer was missing. He had told Dean he would be out as soon as he could. When Dean had called him with an update on the case Fuller had jumped and told him he would be bringing Hoffs and Ioki with him to help in the search.

"Coach…" came the tired voice of Dennis Booker as he trudged into the kitchen. His eyes were puffy with deep dark circles beneath them. His black t-shirt was un-tucked and rumpled. He carried a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. His hair was flat in places and stood on end in others. Booker reached up with his free hand rubbing the top of his head.

"Good morning good lookin." Hoffs interjected.

"Jude, Harry..." Dennis tried to be enthusiastic as he walked over to the kitchen table where the young officers sat together with their superior officer. "Welcome to Waylon County." He jibed half heartedly.

"How are you?" Judy asked as she stood to greet the handsome dark haired officer. She wrapped her arms around him holding him tightly. Booker breathed in Judy's perfume as he took full advantage of the comfort being offered to him by someone her knew. Booker loved Judy so much, but there was nothing more to them than just an amazing friendship; although they had tried to make it go further, that is all it would ever be. Her hands on his back felt so comforting to him.

"Tired." He responded. Judy didn't have to look for a deep hidden meaning in the comment to her. He certainly looked exhausted.

"Listen, I'll be back… I need a smoke before I fall asleep again." Booker commented, his eyes glued to the barn outside the kitchen window. He moved towards the door grabbing a flannel shirt off of the coat rack next to the door. He wrapped the multicolored checkered patterned garment around his body as he stepped out of the door in his stocking feet. Hoffs grinned and shook her head as she followed the man as he walked out the door.

"Cap he looks so tired." Ioki commented.

"I imagine they both do." Fuller responded as he watched Hoffs move out the door behind Booker.

--

"Dennis, are you ok?" Judy asked as the dark haired officer light a cigarette with a worn out silver Zippo lighter. The sound of the flint rubbing and the spark to life then followed by the smell of lighter fluid filled her senses.

Booker took a long drag on the cigarette. He blew the smoke out of his pursed lips and then looked down at his feet. The white socks were warm but the crisp wind cut through the surface of the white cotton fabric chilling his toes. "It's been a long couple of weeks. With all this crap… and Tommy…" Booker stopped he ran his fingers through his ink black hair. His eyes were vacant and lost. He furrowed his eyebrows and squinted against the rising early morning sun "He's a bad dude, this kid who grabbed Hanson. He had a couple of kids take me out of a football game just so that he could be the quarterback."

"What'd he do?" Judy asked.

"To me… I got a couple of bruised ribs during practice. I thought I was gonna die it hurt so badly. He killed a kid to get that position on the team. And what he did to Tommy…"

"He's gonna be fine…" Judy tried to comfort the man beside her. She had heard that Darren was responsible for the death of a kid named Kirk Davis; he had killed a couple of guards on his way to the Juvenile hold at Metro. Fuller had also filled her and Ioki in on most of the events leading up to Hanson being kidnapped at a local hospital.

"Jude… you don't understand… he almost killed Hanson over his girlfriend."

"He what?" Judy questioned.

"He thought Hanson was after his girlfriend and he and some of his buddies grabbed him. Penhall and I watched him run a knife into Hanson. I couldn't stop him from bleeding. I tried, I just couldn't stop it." Booker took another long drag on his cigarette. He was lost in thought. He looked down at the toes of the pallid material in his socks. He flexed his toes as he looked up at Judy. He was so angry and frustrated, how could he tell her how he felt without just exploding. She was almost his best friend at Jump Street. Hanson was far from his best friend, but he was so angry at the continually escalating crap in his life. Something had to happen and slow it all down. "Hanson nearly died Jude… and then Darren and his girlfriend, Lexi… Hanson is hurt so bad…" Booker smashed the butt of his cigarette against the painted surface of the railing next to the door. He threw the butt into a can that Angie had left out for him to use.

"Dennis, do you think that maybe Lexi was manipulated into this? I mean she is a young girl… Dean sent Fuller some information on this case and she's a model student…"

"What… do all you girls stick together Jude… Hanson's missing and you're siding with some girl you don't even know!" Dennis couldn't take it. She was actually defending this no good little girl. Who cares if she's a model student? Booker had watched the security tapes pull a gun on Hanson in an elevator. "Judy as far as I'm concerned she's just as guilty as her boyfriend and if anything happens to Hanson…" Booker pointed his index finger at Hoffs who backed against the railing on the other side of the door while trying to maintain a brave face. Booker ran his hand across his face in frustration. "GOD Jude… I'm sorry… it's just Hanson. We actually got along here… what the hell is up with this…" Judy grabbed the officer around the waist and pulled him into her for a hug. He was so distraught and it was eating Judy alive as she watched him suffer through the pain he was feeling.

"You're gonna find him Dennis…" She whispered gently in his ear. "We're gonna get him back."

--

The two officers returned to the house to be greeted by a sleepy Doug Penhall. "Good morning Judy…" Doug yawned. He dropped his chin onto his hand and held it up on the table. Judy walked over to the coffee pot and grabbed three mugs filling them with the fresh steaming liquid. She handed one to Penhall, one to Dennis and sat down with the other.

"Thanks." Dennis looked up at Judy his dark eyes twinkled as he tried to smile. It was clear that the weeks had taken their toll on both men.

**Thanks for all the comments and reviews from the previous chapter. I am going to try and crank out another chapter for ya'll! Later please read and review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A suprise for you all! A double post!! YEHA! It is a little dark, (So whats new for me, right??) I just thought I would warn ya! I hope you enjoy... **

**Chapter 7**

Tom Hanson gasped loudly as a he felt a hand on his chest. There was an odd tugging on his wrists and then a slice and his hands were free. Hanson struggled to sit up and then soon regretted it. He felt dizzy and nauseous with each movement. He was laid gently back on the ground. There was a velvety soft voice in the background but he couldn't make out the words coming from her mouth. He was so cold. The soft hands were soon back on his chest he felt the graceful fingers floating down his chest and release the two buttons holding the tattered material from the flannel shirt. He tried again to sit up only to be gently pushed back down onto the hard surface of the floor. Only the floor felt different, it was softer… not as cold. There was a crackling sound and he could smell the pungent aroma of smoke in the air. The room was warmer, but he was still so cold.

"Shhh… Tom… please relax." Lexi pleaded with the officer.

"What… what are… you doing?" He whispered. He swallowed hard, his voice was nearly gone. He could no longer feel the nip of the cold air as it entered the bottom of the door. He could feel the heat from the fire. She had moved him… how? She was so small in stature compared to him.

"You're burning up and I need to try and get your fever down. I lit a fire to try and warm it up in here for you." Tom opened his eyes and could see her soft features. The bruise on her cheek was darker still. She had a scab forming over the split on her full lips. She tried to smile gently as she noticed his open eyes. There was the slightest purple of a bruise near the corner of her lip. She stared intently at the officer's chest. She noted the wrapping around his bruised ribs. She pushed the material of the shirt from the officer's chest and then lifted a cloth from a bowl of water to her right. She carefully wrung the excess liquid from the material of the cloth and then ran the cloth across Hanson's face. She then gently glided the cloth across Hanson's throat. She turned and re-wet the cloth and placed it on Hanson's chest. The coolness of the water caused Hanson to jump. He sucked in a deep breath as the young woman next to him placed her hand on the officer's chest.

"Darren…" Hanson licked his lips as he tried to form the words. "Where…"

"He left for supplies." She responded.

"When will he… be back?" Hanson swallowed and took a deep breath.

"I don't know." She responded. "Probably not for a while…"

Hanson felt her fingers as they examined the wrap holding his bruised ribs in place. The material from the bandage was probably to only thing that prevented Hanson from having a broken rib the last time the man booted the officer in the ribs. She continued to dampen his chest and arms with the cooling liquid. Hanson flinched as she hit a tender spot in his person. His body was starting to ripple with goose bumps as she wiped away the beads of glistening perspiration on his blistering fever stricken body.

"Relax… I know it's cold." She whispered soothingly.

"Hurts… so cold…" Hanson closed his eyes and let the young woman attempt to help. His skin was so sensitive to the slightest touch that the chill of the water made him ache all over. It was when her soft fingers landed on his infected side that Hanson cried out in pain. He squeezed his eyes shut and withered beneath her touch. He bit his lip to prevent the additional escape of a cry. The agony of the slightness of her touch was too much to handle. Hanson felt the shame of a tear escape down the crease of his eyelid and roll across his temple and onto the floor. The intensity of the ache throbbed within his side.

"What is that?" Lexi placed the rag back into the small bowl and then dried her hands on her jeans. She got onto her knees and leaned over Hanson's narrow frame. She then caught sight of the indigo threadlike stitches in Hanson's swollen encrusted and cherry red side. She placed her hand over the stitched area and felt the blistering hot heat radiating from the inflamed surface. She also noted his tightening abdominal muscles as she gently touched the area. Hanson groaned again through clinched teeth using his hand instinctively to push her off of the painfully tainted area.

"Tommy, what is this?" She questioned the officer.

"Stitches…" Hanson responded breathlessly.

"I see that and it's infected. What happened?" She demanded.

"Darren… ran his knife… into me there…" Hanson licked his lips as he tried to stave off any additional cries of agony. It was so sore to touch. He knew that the sutures were infected, but there was nothing he could do, but ride out the pain and infection.

"Officer Hanson, this is infected badly, I can hardly see the stitches anymore, you are so swollen." She remarked her voice full of concern. She thought for a minute as the officer reached a hand up to his forehead wiping off dripping beads of sweat. He took a deep breath as he opened his eyes noting the look of concern on her youthful face. "I took first aid when I was in the Girl Scouts and they said that you should use hot water for an infection. I need to heat this rag up and put it on the cut to try and draw the infection out."

Hanson watched as she rose to her feet and took the rag out of the water bowl and headed to the fire. There was a kettle sitting just above the flames. Carefully she removed the pot from the fireplace and poured the contents of the pot into a second bowl then carried it over to where the injured officer lay. Hanson closed his eyes swallowed hard and then opened his eyes making eye contact with the gentle blue eyes belonging to the girl beside him.

"This is going to hurt." She stated. She had grabbed a set of tongs from a drawer next to the small cook stove near the fireplace. She poured a small amount of cold water into the wildly steaming bowl. She looked at Hanson who bit his bottom lip as she lifted the rag with the tongs. Hanson closed his eyes and grasped at the blanket beneath his body, twisting it between his fingers as he prepared for the worst. Lexi took a deep breath as she lifted the rag with the tongs and attempted to wring some of the scalding water from its entity. She shook of a few water droplets and then inhaled as she reached across his tender body and laid the searing material against his infected skin.

"AGGGGGHHH!" Hanson shrieked. The intensity of the heat shredded at the exterior of his epidermis. Hanson struggled to find his breath again as Lexi grabbed his hands in an effort to thwart his clutching at the sweltering material of the cloth. Several minutes passed before Hanson could talk again. The pain of infected stitches seemed to dominate all thoughts.

--

"Where… did you learn this?" Hanson croaked. His voice was hoarse and gravely. "I know that they don't teach you all of this in Girl Scouts."

Lexi walked back over to the now calmed Tom Hanson carrying two aspirins and a metal cup full of water. She tenderly helped Hanson into a sitting position against the wall. She handed him the medication and the cup of which he took both. He popped the pills into his mouth and slowly drank the cool liquid down.

"I spent some time at Waylon Memorial as a Candy Striper. I loved it. I wanted to become a nurse for a while, but now… I'm not sure." She responded. She looked down at Hanson's red side. He held the small rag in place and then removed it handing it back to the young girl.

"Why not now?" He asked.

"Well, I am not sure anyone will ever hire me now… not after all of this. Tommy… Darren… he cut you because of me didn't he?" She asked looking up at Tom. Her eyes were pained as she mustered the courage to ask the difficult question.

Hanson let out a sigh. The answer was a resounding YES! But how could he tell her that. She was carrying so much of a burden already. He just didn't have the heart to hurt her anymore. He also couldn't lie to her. He had grown to care so much for the young girl that he didn't want to devastate her anymore.

"He…" Hanson looked down and then into her eyes. She sat in front of him cross-legged on the floor. Her perfect blue eyes which used to be filled with so much life was now flooded with despair and anguish. "Yeah…" Hanson whispered.

Lexi drew in a ragged breath as tears began to glisten in her eyes. "I knew he had… I knew it was true. This is all _my_ fault…" She slid her fingers through her hair which fell again to her brush her shoulders. "That means… Kirk…" she gulped in another ragged breath as the events at Waylon County washed over her again. "This is all my fault." Tears started to roll down her cheeks.

"Lexi…" Hanson leaned forward igniting the pain in his side again. The young woman pulled away from him as she continued to shed her tears.

"He was helping me with my calculus… I was struggling and he had no trouble with it. I asked him if he would help me one day and he said yes… the next day… Oh GOD… Tommy…" She leaned forward sobbing into her own hands. "I'm so sorry… I never meant…"

Hanson reached across to the woman in front of him pulling her into his arms in an effort to comfort her in her time of anguish. Lexi leaned onto Hanson's shoulder shuddering with each gasp for breath. "Kirk… was such… a good guy… we'd been… friends… since…grade school…" Lexi struggled through each word while Hanson was crushed inside. She had suffered so much at the hands of someone she had loved so much. She was such a kind spirit and she did her best to be a good girl. She had been so nice to him on his first day of school. With no questions asked had given him paper and pens for class. She had taken him under her wing and tried to help him around the foreign land that was Waylon County. Hanson was truly disturbed at the insanity of the city that had flooded into such a beautiful countryside as Waylon County. He would never have believed that a country school would have so much drama surrounding it. To watch Lexi George struggle with the torture of knowing that her boyfriend had befouled her and their relationship was too much weight to watch her attempt to bear.

--

Hanson watched as the young girl had drifted off in his arms. She had cried for a solid hour before she started to calm down. She lay with her head against his chest cradled in his left arm. With his right hand he brushed a stray lock of auburn hair from her forehead as she continued to sleep peacefully. Her almond shaped eyes would appear to almost flutter as she lay in a near dreamlike state. She drew a short breath as Hanson thought he heard a noise outside of the door but couldn't confirm it until it was too late. The door burst violently open as Darren Thompson stumbled clumsily into the large room.

"What the fuck!" He shouted. He carried a bottle in his right hand that he threw across the room and it smashed into millions of pieces on the wall; the liquid ran down the timber surface filling the room with stench of whiskey. Lexi sat straight up and looked terrified at the man in the doorway.

"Get your hands off of my girlfriend… asshole!" Darren shrieked. Lexi was caught off guard as he aggressively grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet.

"Darren please…stop…" Lexi pleaded with Darren who viciously backhanded the young woman across her face dropping her swiftly to the floor. She landed on her stomach and tried to rise again only to be grabbed by the hair and thrown cruelly into the bedroom door. Lexi fell to the floor on her back. She rolled onto her side where she remained motionless.

Hanson lunged at the man in an attempt to stop the attack on Lexi only to be kneed in his side. Tom screamed in pain. It was excruciating. His breath left him as he fell to his knees holding his sutured side gulping for air. He could feel the blood pooling in his hand Darren grasped Tom by the hair pulling the officer out the door and into the clearing to the nearest tree. He produced a pair of handcuffs and wrapped the officer's wrists behind him around the course trunk of the tree. Hanson was once again covered in lines of running perspiration. He shook like a leaf in the wind as the chill of the afternoon mountain air cut his skin.

Darren grasped Hanson by the chin and raised it so he was looking eye to eye with the officer. "I need you for one reason cop and that's it… I will fucking kill you if you lay a hand on my girlfriend one more time." Darren hissed. "She told me the other day she thought that you had a fever… well… this should cool you off." Darren then slugged Hanson with a closed fist in his lower jaw. The officer was left outside at the base of a tree while the sadistic high school student walked inside to his unconscious girlfriend.

**Ok, so here we go... Please read and review and I hope you like it! Firebunee... it might be a few days before I get to post again as I am going to prepare to boo-hoo as my youngest son leaves to go into service for our country! He will be joining the Air Force... I am now a proud US Marine mama and a proud US Air Force Airmen Mama with a beautiful grandbaby:-) GOD BLESS US ALL!! **


	8. Chapter 8

**Here you go! I hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 8**

Hanson had watched the sun sink below the tree line before he lost all sense of awareness the first time. When he came to he noted the sound of cicadas buzzing all around in the trees. He shivered as he took a gasping breath in as the change in the environment around him caught him by surprise. He tugged fervently at the metal bonds securing him to the base of the tree holding the officer against his will. Hanson could feel the ping of pins and needles as the circulation in his arm was slowed making the cold even more miserable.

Hanson bit his lip and winced closing his eyes to the pain as the tugging and pulling of his wrists ignited the stabbing pain in his already inflamed side. Hanson gritted his teeth as he groaned against the sharp, un-abating pain in his stomach. Tom noted the feeling of something oozing from his side again; weakly he tilted his head looking at the crimson life seeping from his being. His head started to throb again. Feebly Hanson laid his head back against the trunk of the tree; the dripping perspiration felt like ice as the wind cut across his tender skin. Hanson sucked in a ragged breath as his head fell forward again and he unwillingly retreated into darkness

Hanson was startled awake at a shadow passing in front of him. He had been drifting in and out of reality for several hours following Darren's assault on Lexi and himself. Hanson had struggled to keep a grip on his consciousness but the chill in the air and the injury's to his body added into the fever he had already developed was far more than he could withstand. His teeth were chattering and his head slumped forward, his chin resting against the solid surface of his upper body. He could feel the ache of cold creeping into his bones as he attempted to lift his head to determine who or what was in front of him.

"Tommy…" He felt the soft hand on his cheek. It was so warm and gentle. It felt like the caress of an angel. Hanson managed a soft moan as he lifted his eyes and then slowly the rest of his head painfully followed. Her nimble fingers touched the base of his chin and helped to lift his head slowly so that their eyes met. She tenderly brushed his stray locks from his eye and towards the side of his face. Compassionately she continued to hold his face in her velvety soft hands while smoothing the perspiration from the sticky contours of the surface.

"Lex…" Hanson coughed. He could see the split from her scalp to her eyebrow on the left side of her face. There were dark circles under her eyes as she tried to mask her anguish with a smile.

"Tom, I have a blanket to wrap around you." She spoke softly. "He's out… drunk. He'll be out for hours." She stated quietly.

"C-Cold..." Hanson responded. His eyes were drooping again as she ran her hands through his hair. She didn't have a clue where Darren had hidden the key to the manacles securing Tom's wrists. She picked up the thick quilt and wrapped it as best she could around his shaking body. His chest had been exposed the shirt dropping below his right shoulder where his captor had torn it slamming the officer into the tree.

"Tommy, let me get you out of here. I can find the key and get you out of here." Hanson shook his head "NO" as the girl looked on. "Please Tom… he's gonna kill you. I know I can try and get the key to the car…"

"No… I can't… don't have… strength to walk…" Hanson swallowed hard. The fire in his throat was now burning with fury. "We would never make… it… too weak." Hanson responded. He slowly lifted his eyes until he was looking into her bloodshot eyes. He watched tormented as a tear slipped over the rim of her once innocent sapphire eyes flowing freely down her cheek. She sniffled as she reached out and held his cheek in her hand thinking on the sacrifice he was making for her. She knew he could go he could find the strength if he needed too, but she also knew that he was staying to protect her from a beating or assault that could mark the end for her if she tried to get the key and got caught. There was one thing left for her to do. She would have to plead with Darren to let the officer go.

"You better go… before…" Hanson looked at the young woman in front of him. She was battered and bruised. Hanson was sure she had a slight concussion from the collusion of her head and the bedroom door. She had tried to fight back only to be beat down again. She was drained of all emotion towards the once caring and loving boyfriend who had promised her the moon; he had handed her dreams of a life together across the state lines, living by the ocean. They were going to have three kids and take long walks on the beach at sunset. They would spend the days getting to know each other better, holding each other as the tide brushed up against their bodies… he had promised her a lot of empty untruths.

"I… do you need anything… before I go back?" She asked her voice breaking as she looked down at the ground. She could feel the tears rising up to prick her eyes again. She was so afraid of Darren, of what he had done and what he could do to her and wanted to do the Officer Tom Hanson.

"Water." Hanson whispered. He had been dehydrated since being drug out of his hospital bed. The feeling of thirst grated at the back of his parched throat and dry cracked lips. Lexi left the officer and then walked back with the familiar tin cup he had swallowed so many other drinks from. Greedily he sucked the clear liquid from the cup. The cool refreshing liquid was comforting to the aggrieved officer. Hanson could feel the path of the liquid as it flowed from his mouth and down into his stomach. He could feel his stomach start to constrict as the cold battled his empty belly. It took a moment before Tom was sure her wasn't going to throw up the contents that weren't in his stomach.

The wind began to pick up again as Hanson closed his eyes to the punishing blast of frigid air. Lexi watched Hanson's eyes close and his chin dip back down to the top of his torso. She could feel the wind kick up again as tears began to stream down her face. She jumped to her feet and ran into the protective wooden frame of the cabin.

--

Doug stared out the window of the Waylon County Police Station. He had started to become accustomed to the different surroundings. He chewed at the shortened tips of his fingernails. Judy had already yelled at him once for chewing until the index finger on his right hand had started to bleed. _He has to be out there! Tom Hanson couldn't just up and vanish… he has to be out there. Why hadn't they made any demands or said anything about where Tom is or what they will do to him if they don't get their money! GOD Tommy! _

"Doug…" Fuller's voice cut the silence but was unable to reach Doug Penhall who was lost in his own thoughts. The sun was starting to go down again; the end of another day that led to nothing… no Tommy… no ransom… nothing. "Doug…" Doug watched the sun sink lower in the sky. The cold air blew whistling through the trees. Hanson was out there somewhere; he was alone with two crazy people. Were they taking care of his injuries? Had they fed him? He looked terrified as he got off of the elevator was he ok? "PENHALL!"

"Yeah Coach…" Doug stood up and saw Judy, Harry and Captain Adam Fuller putting their coats on. "What are you doing?" Doug asked hesitantly.

"Going for dinner and then we have to hit the road. Ioki and Hoffs have an eight a.m. appointment at East Central High." Fuller answered.

"You're leaving… what about Hanson?" Doug asked he was stunned at how little everyone seemed to be affected by this new development.

"Doug, I just got off the phone with the mayor's office and I have to get back. Look we're still just a car ride and phone call away. I am just as concerned about this as you are. Your going to find him, I know you will." Fuller answered. "Now, I'm taking you all out for dinner your shift is over."

"What about Tommy?" Penhall was more aggressive this time. _He was angry… what the hell, DINNER? _

"Doug, Hanson would tell you to go if he we're here, now, I'm not asking Angie to cook for all of us so get your ass in my car and we're going to dinner. I'll drop you and Booker back off at Dean and Angie's. They could use a break from you two anyways."

Doug started to open his mouth to protest when Fuller cut him off.

"GO!"

"Yes sir." Doug walked defeated to the car and crawled into the back seat leaning his head against the cool safety glass of the car window. He sank into the plush seats and closed his eyes. He felt activity around the car again as Booker and Hoffs both slid into the car beside the big man. Hoffs between him and Booker reached out and lifted Penhall's hand into her own. She then grabbed Bookers. Dennis looked down quietly and then up at the delicate bone structure beneath Judy's dark skin. She was so beautiful.

"You guys, find Tommy for us okay. I know you will." She smiled as Doug looked into her chocolate brown eyes where a tear slipped out and down her cheek. Doug reached out and brushed the tear from her cheek as Dennis picked up her delicate hand and kissed the top.

"We will…" Dennis answered. He tried to remain positive when he answered her but knew that the answer he had given her was a feeble attempt to convince himself also.

**Please send me a review for my birthday! It would mean a lot:-) Tell me what you think of this story, I would like that! Thanks for your patience... I am a little on the slow side right now.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Shew... I didn't think I would get this up today! Please enjoy.**

**Chapter 9**

There were two sets of hands on Hanson and they were dragging him to his feet. The movement bringing an involuntary groan across his fever cracked lips. He couldn't feel his wrists and fingers they were so cold. His legs were numb so he leaned heavily onto both people who were dragging him through the night. He tried to lift his legs but to no avail, he could not seem to make them work. He was so achy and exhausted. His arms were draped across two separate sets of shoulders, one tall… one short. He could feel the soft delicate hands of a woman on his left and the hard muscular hands of a man on his right. There were voices lost in the fog of his agony pressing to get past his semi conscious haze. Through the torture of each movement he could hear a voice in the distance reassuring him that he would be ok. Another voice more harsh and abrasive told the soft gentle voice to be quiet. It was an irritated and almost annoyed at the person the soothing peaceful voice belonged to. Hanson felt himself be lifted across a threshold into warmth, total warmth when his legs completely gave out and he fell cataleptic to the floor.

--

"Get me some water now!" A female voice cut through Hanson's semi conscious thoughts. She had a commanding voice, one who was in charge and responsible.

"Get it yourself." The voice of defiance came. Hanson felt the brush of air as the body of the commanding voice stood up and moved away. He heard arguing a few steps away. Hanson wanted to sit up but his body just wouldn't cooperate with him. He felt the pain in his side as he tried to lean forward. He gripped his stomach and let out a muffled cry the pain was intense, it shredded through every fiber in his stomach. He arched his back as footsteps rushed to his side and pressed his back down to the soft comforter on the floor.

"Please don't move Tom… you're bleeding and you have a terrible fever." Hanson was loosing it. He couldn't even remember the face the voice belonged to.

"W-Who…" Hanson fumbled to find the words to even ask a question. The only thing he could concentrate on was the blinding pain he felt as his body continued to warm up. All across his body droplets of perspiration beaded and ran down his ever weakening frame.

"Tommy… it's me… its Lexi." She ran a hand across his forehead wiping the warm sticky liquid from him with a cool damp cloth. "You need to try and drink this." She slid her hand under the officer's neck and helped him to lift his head. Tom Hanson felt the cool of the metal cup brush against his parched lips as they parted to allow the fluid to flow freely down his throat. It had no sooner his stomach and Hanson threw it back up. Hanson coughed harshly sitting up fighting the young woman who tried to lay him back down. Once his body quit fighting him he started to try and relax. Gently Lexi wiped the officer's face and chest off.

"Why are you wasting time with this? Were gonna use him for one thing and he's history." Darren hissed as he stood up from the chair. He had watched his young girlfriend tending the officer as if he was something important to her and he was sick of watching. He wanted out of this place. It was confining and old. She had done nothing but defy him causing him to have to discipline her and the worthless pig. Darren was about to snap when he saw her try and give him some more water. "That's it!" Darren exploded. He hastily moved over to where Lexi was. She was paying too much attention to Tom Hanson and not enough to him.

"Get up! That's enough…"

"Darren let me go!" Lexi fought the man gripping her arm tighter. He had caused her spill the water that Tom Hanson so desperately needed to help fight the infection that coursed mercilessly through him. The cup fell pouring the contents all over Hanson and the blanket he lay on in front of the fireplace. Tom tried to draw himself into a protective ball as Darren and Lexi moved away.

"What the hell do you think your doing?" Lexi demanded. She fuming as Darren gripped her arm tighter. She winced as he tugged her body in towards his own.

"Listen baby; let's get the hell out of here. We have out plans to think about." Darren's free hand snaked across Lexi's back and down the waist of her jeans gliding across her backside.

"No... Get off of me!" She struggled to shove the bigger man away from her. Angrily he shoved her smaller body against the wall with his hand secured around her throat. She gasped loudly as he squeezed lightly. The grip of his hand and the slightest squeeze was enough to indicate to her that he could and would hurt her badly.

"We're gonna get out of here… you and me…" Darren kissed her cheek between each phrase like a greedy child would devour sweets behind his mothers back. "You're not going to fight with me… or the next time… I'll fuck the cop really good." With his final words he grabbed her leg lifting up and around his narrow waist while he greedily continued to kiss her neck.

"Please… Darren… don't do this…" Lexi trembled beneath his body, tears streaming down her face. She pushed and shoved trying desperately to heave the much bigger man from her. This only seemed to ignite the flares of excitement in Darren as he thrust his muscular frame harder into hers. "No… Darren… please… no…"

"Let her go!" The voice was a gravely near whisper.

Darren stopped letting Lexi's smaller body fall like a ragdoll to the floor. Her tear stained face ravaged with pain as she landed with a echoing thump. He squinted his ice blue eyes as he approached the officer. Hanson was leaning heavily on the wall grasping the swollen tissue of his stomach with his other hand. Darren stormed over to the young office violently propelling him against the wall. Hanson struggled to inhale a breath only to be shoved again.

"You know what cop… you should mind your own business."

Lexi took a moment to recover before she realized what was going on. She saw Darren slam the young officer into the wall for the second time. She watched the look of misery spread across Hanson's face. She gathered her courage and ran for the bigger man.

Darren drew back his fist as he prepared to lay it into Hanson's face. Lexi took a deep breath as she reached up to take hold of the mans arm.

"Darren… h-honey… please… You don't want to hurt him." She smiled as the words struggled to come to her lips. "Come on baby… lets go see what we can do to calm your nerves." Lexi's hands shook as she took the fist and one at a time pealed back his fingers and placed her delicate hand in his. She reached up and placed her other hand on the bigger mans chest as she positioned herself between Hanson and Darren. Darren looked smugly at Hanson who could hardly hold his head in an upright position.

"You lose cop." Darren growled as he grabbed Lexi by the arm pulling her away from Tom Hanson and into the bedroom. Lexi let out a yelp as the force of the man holding onto her and pulling her was painful. Hanson felt his knees start to buckle as he caught sight of the once young and innocent Lexi George being manhandled and drug through the bedroom door. Hanson lost consciousness as he fell to the floor in a messy heap just as the door slammed shut on the bedroom.

--

"Look Darren, honey… it's going to look real bad if we get stopped and theirs a dead cop in the trunk of our car." Tom could hear the distant voice of Lexi George as she pleaded with Darren about. He could only assume that she was talking about Hanson, after all, he was the only cop in the room.

"So what do you want me to do?" Darren retorted.

"Let's let him go." She stated. At that point she could hear Hanson starting to move around by the fireplace. She slowly walked over to the man who lay on his back. Beads of sweat glistened above his brow.

"Yeah… he's gonna go get help. In case you haven't noticed yet, he's not in any condition to help himself." Darren stated pointing at the officer as the young girl helped him to swallow a sip of water. "Worthless cop…" he muttered to himself.

"Pikes Point." Lexi stated turning her head to glance at the man behind her. We can leave him at Pikes Point. It's hiking season and there is bound to be some tourist there. Besides it's just off the main road and if a hiker doesn't see him a driver surly will. They'll find him and then were off the hook." She stated in a matter of fact tone.

"Whatever, I just want to be out of here before noon." Darren spat. He stood up and walked back to the bedroom. She knew he was looking for his bottle. Fortunately for them it was nearly empty. Lexi smiled to herself as Hanson opened his eyes and looked directly at her. She gently pushed his hair out of his eyes as she tried to help him to eat a couple bites out of a bowl. He owed her his life and she just saved him again. Now, how the hell was he going to tell someone… anyone where he was going to be?

**Now, please let me know what you think! Thanks again for all of you who are reading and all who are reviewing! **


	10. Chapter 10

**HELLO! Here is your update!**

**Chapter 10**

The brown interior of Lexi's car was far more comfortable and inviting than the cold leaky trunk had been. Hanson had been drug out to the car by the slighter Lexi and the brawny Darren. He had been carelessly shoved into the back seat of the older car by Darren. Hanson had scooted the rest of the way into the car and then lay on his side and then propped his head uncomfortably on the door handle. Lexi had crawled into the front seat and laid the quilt that she had wrapped him in earlier over his quivering frame. She then reached over and gently squeezed his hand when Darren had turned to walk back into the cabin.

"Just hang on Tommy… it'll all be over for you soon." She whispered. Hanson had opened his eyes to look at her. Her face was a jumbled mess of bruises and cuts. The colors ranged from yellowish green to deep purple almost black. She looked so tired, like she had aged five years over night. Her normally flowing sun kissed auburn hair was pulled haphazardly into a half pony tail on the back of her head. Hanson recalled how she had looked so stunning, glowing as her glossy lips, bubbly personality, and svelte figure had caught his eye instantly. He had never intended to meet a girl who was a good deal younger than he and find himself caught in turmoil between her and her jealous and constantly suspicious boyfriend. Hanson caught her cheek with the tips of his fingers halting her in her tracks. She looked shamefully at the floorboards of the car. She slowly lifted her eyes and looked back up at Tom as he whispered.

"This isn't your fault…" He watched as a single tear streamed down her cheek. Hanson suddenly realized how truly special this girl was to him. She had sacrificed herself for his well being… like a lamb to the slaughter. She had allowed herself to be beaten, raped and brutalized for his survival. There had to be a way that he could save himself and her at the same time.

"That's it… that's all of it. Get your ass in the car and let's get the hell out of here." He stomped through the grass to the driver's side of the car and sunk into the driver's seat. He cranked the engine and listened for it to turn over. Once running he threw the car into drive and pulled away from the cabin.

--

Each bump and pothole registered a new startling blaze of pain. For the most part Hanson gritted his teeth and held onto the inflamed puncture in his stomach. He would bite his lip as he thought he couldn't take the tortures journey any longer. He wasn't about to give Darren the satisfaction of knowing he couldn't handle the pain. Hanson could feel the constant beading of perspiration as it ran down the sides of his face. Hanson gasped suddenly as the sudden jolt from a particularly large depression in the pathway. He rolled onto his back and clutched his stomach writhing in agony. His face was a mirror of the torment he was being made to suffer.

_GOD, please… I can't take much more… _he thought to himself. It seemed cruel that he should continue to be punished by Darren when he was about to set him free. _But he isn't setting you free… Lexi had made a deal with the demon who was Darren. She had sold herself into slavery to him in order protect you… _

After what felt like forever Darren hit the brakes. The car skidded to a halt throwing Hanson forward into the seat in front of him. Tom grimaced and let out a cry of suffering as Darren got his kicks one last time from abusing the wounded officer.

"Did you have to do that?" Lexi challenged sending him a hateful glare.

"Watch it little princess or I'll end his suffering right here and now." Darren hissed as he threw his door open. "Now help me get him out of here."

Lexi pushed the car door open pulling something from the glove box and shoving it into her jeans pocket. She then gathered the blanket from the ground that fell as Darren ruthlessly pulled the injured officer from the car placing him on his feet. Hanson couldn't support his own weight as his knees buckled under the pressure of his own being. Lexi caught the officer as Darren grabbed his other arm. Hanson leaned heavily with most of his weight supported by the petite young female. His head rested against hers as she looked up at Darren barely helping to hold the officer up.

"Help me with him please!" Lexi demanded. The anger of her words didn't sit well with the former football star as he shot her a look of anger.

"You have a problem…"

"Yes Darren, I do! We have one chance to get out of here and across the state lines without getting caught. Don't mess this up by bullying or hurting this man anymore than you have. Now let's just get this over with." She retorted.

Darren growled under his breath as he grasped at Hanson's dangling arm pulling it over his shoulder and wrapping his other hand about Hanson's narrow waist. He pulled the young officer near him and heard the gasp for air as his hip bumped Hanson's angry and inflamed knife wound.

The threesome slowly made their way to the side of the pathway where Lexi lay the large quilt on the ground and Darren lay the officer down on top of it. Hanson on the cloth material shaking and looking up at the ice blue eyes which offered no warmth. He shuddered on the inside to imagine Lexi remaining with him. He felt no compassion, no sympathy. Darren felt nothing but contempt for the world and all people in it. How does a teenager end up hating the world before he has ever lived in it? There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to his emotional being.

Lexi knelt down beside Hanson drawing the blanket up around his neck. Darren continued to stare back at the two. Perhaps he was imagining how he could have finished him off. Perhaps he was wondering why he was losing her to the police officer. Hanson didn't want to think any longer, he just wanted to sleep. He wanted to feel the slumber you have after a long evening with friends. Where you each enjoy a frosty mug or two while eating a pizza or laughing over a round of bowling. The deep slumber you can only get after a date with a beautiful woman and then you share a crisp bottle of wine followed by a night of passion. You fall blissfully asleep in each others arms an wake long past noon to be greeted by her stunning smile.

"Darren go back to the car and get me a bottle of water." Lexi instructed.

"Why?" Darren asked defiantly.

"Because, I don't want him to dehydrate anymore than he already has." She answered.

When Darren had spun around and walked back to the automobile parked at the side of the road. Lexi dug a piece of paper out of her pocket and placed it in the officer's hand. Hanson then tried to sit up.

"No. Please stay there. I don't want him to know. It will tell the cops how to find us. You are at Pikes Point near the lookout. Route 22 is just a half a mile from here to the west."

"Here." Darren tapped approached with the bottle. Lexi reached out and took it from him. She quickly loosened the cap and then removed it. She reached her hand under Hanson's head tilting it forward helping him to take a sip of the lukewarm liquid.

"Let's go!" Darren demanded.

"In a minute." Lexi responded.

"Now!" Darren's voice was getting louder.

"You know what. I'll be ready in a second, just go to the car and wait… I'll be right there."

"Lex…"

"GO!"

Darren huffed and walked away. She turned to watch the jock kick at a rock as he walked away. She replaced the lid on the bottle and then dug into her pocket to reveal a silvery object. She opened Hanson's hand and laid the object on his open palm.

"Tommy… this is my cell phone. I have already hit the 911 on it. When I walk away you are going to have to tell the operator where you are…"

"Lexi I…" Tom whispered, the gravel in his voice sounded worse. Lexi thought for sure the officer was coming down with something. She hoped it was just the infection and not something worse like pneumonia.

"Let's Go Lexi!" Darren shouted from the car.

"Tommy, you have to get me out of this… please… I can't do this much longer." Lexi's voice was different now. There was a sense of urgency Hanson had not heard from her before. It sounded like terror to him. She softly rested her hands on the officer cheek trying to offer a reassuring smile. She sucked in a deep breath as she bit down on her lower lip. "Tommy…" She sniffled softly as she took in another deep breath wiping away a tear. He watched as she hit the "SEND" button on the phone and walked rose to her feet. "I'm sorry for everything Tommy." She whispered as turned and headed in the direction of the car.

"Get in the car…" Darren snarled at her. Hanson was terrified as to what he would do to her once they were gone.

"Don't touch me." She spat back. He heard to the slam of two car doors just as a voice picked up on the phone.

"911 what is your emergency?"

**Ok, I did my part now please make my day and give me a lot of reviews. I really like them and I hate to beg, but I will because I only got reviews from three people on the last Chapter... thanks to those who did, FYH, Tewksgirl, and LunaCangiante. Thanks guys! Although, I do appriciate you taking time to read a review only takes a few seconds and brings lots of BIG SMILES to our faces:-) OK, I'm done! Thanks for everything ya'll...**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Doug Penhall, Dennis Booker, and Dean Miller all sat at a computer mapping out a possible route that Darren and Lexi could have taken with Hanson following the kidnapping when the phone rang in Dean's office. The older officer sighed deeply as he yanked the receiver off of the cradle.

"I said not to dis…" Dean stopped in midsentence. "You what? When? He is? Pikes Point… that's over an hour from here. Is he still on the line? Not answering… but he's still on the line? Fine… I want updates by radio, if there is anything else said. I want to know pronto. No bird… shit. What do you mean a storm front? Damn… could anything else go wrong for this kid?" Dean sighed heavily.

Booker and Penhall looked confused at each other. Dean was getting more worked up as the conversation continued. It wasn't long before he slammed the phone down.

"Let's go… Hanson just called 911 in Chase County. He was on Lexi's cell phone. He's not responding to the dispatcher he's was barely able to tell them he was at Pikes Point, just over the Chase County Boarder. There's a storm front heading in that direction he's gonna be soaked in less than an hour so we can't fly the bird in this weather."

"Dean, what do you mean, they found Hanson?" Doug shouted.

"Yeah, and the dispatcher said he's sounding bad. He quit responding to her five minutes ago and we have to go now. There's rain on the way." Dean grabbed his Stetson hat and his coat. He threw a pile of blankets at Dennis Booker and slapped the First Responder bag in Doug Penhall's hands. The three men charged in the direction of the Maroon Bronco II. "Neil, call Lexi's mom and dad and tell them what's going on. Lance, get County on standby."

"Do you want an Ambulance Captain Miller?" A young female trainee asked.

"No, not enough time. We'll bring him in ourselves. Just keep updates coming my way. Also, get me ALL available officers in here now. Drew, get Chase County notified. Tell them we are going to be just over their lines with a kidnapped officer. Tell them to be on the lookout for the brown Pontiac, Olds. Tell them this is on the low down, no press. There are two offenders, Darren Thompson and Alexia George. Both are to be considered armed and dangerous. Also stress that these are kids a seventeen and an eighteen year old. They are heading towards the state lines. And someone call my wife and tell her to call Adam Fuller."

"Yes sir." And the officer was a bustle with activity. Phones began to ring and officers began to stir. It looked like an anthill at feeding time.

"Penhall… now!" Dean shouted to the officer who appeared to be in shock at the swiftness of activity in the agency.

--

Hanson shook from cold as the wind began to pick up all around him. He could hear the hammer of thunder as it clapped across the sky. The occasional flash of lightning was also registering to him as he drifted in and out of coherency. He held the phone in on hand trying to make his disobedient body listen to him. He needed to talk to the dispatcher again. He could hear her reassuring voice as she told him help was on the way.

_Help… the word is so foreign. Lexi had tried and gotten hurt… Lexi was hurt tormented… what was Darren going to do to her now that I'm not there to hurt. There has to be something I can do…_

"Lexi…" he murmured as he winced and groaned in pain. He closed his eyes to the radiating pain throbbing throughout his body. His side blistered with heat as he placed his hand on the swollen cherry red and inflamed area. His fingers brushed against the oozing surface. He could feel the yellowish colored seepage on the tips of his fingers. His eyes rolled back in his head as the pain once again became too much for the injured officer to suffer. A groan escaped his lips as he was consumed by the dark.

--

"Joan this is Miller, do you have an update for us." Dean Miller frantically shouted into the radio. He had his eye on the road while Booker and Penhall gripped their respective door handle hanging on for dear life.

"He hasn't answered any of our questions. He sounds like he's in some pain, sir. How far out are you? Maybe we can tell him that you are on the way." The dispatcher's voice was frantic but calm. The plight of a missing officer is the concern of all involved with his or her rescue. In the case of Tom Hanson the entire police department had been on egg shells waiting to see if the officer was alive.

"Joan, were at least forty out. Just tell him to hang on and I need updates every ten. Miller out..."

Dean's comments were crushing to Penhall and Booker who were both trying to remember breath as they continued on down the road in search of Tom Hanson.

Doug looked at the speedometer over Dean's shoulder leaning forward in the middle of the back bench of the vehicle. He watched the officer hit eighty miles per hour as they neared route 22. Hanson was right off of Route 22.

"Captain Miller…" the female voice interrupted the thoughts of the officers as they waited drawing ever nearer to the place where Tom lay unconscious at the side of the road.

"Go ahead Joan." The distinguished man responded.

"Your wife wants to know where to meet you at?" She asked.

"County… when we get to Tommy we are going to take him straight to County." He responded.

"Copy sir… dispatch out."

Dean lay the radio back down on the console between the two front seats. Booker looked down at the radio at his side. He bit his lip as he then looked back up. The ride was absolutely endless. _Hanson was out there… bleeding… beaten… unconscious. There were wild animals out there what if one of them attacked him while he was out. What if someone showed up there and hit Hanson with a vehicle not seeing him lying at the side of the road. What then. Just hang on Tommy… we're gonna get you out of this… please just hang on…" _

--

Tom Hanson awoke with a whimper as the first droplets of rain began to fall. He tried lifting his arms to cover his face. They just felt so heavy to him. He sucked in a deep breath as turned onto his side the wind continued to whip violently around him as he pulled the edge of the blanket tighter around him. He felt cold as the rain started to flow in an unforgiving drizzle. He laid his head on his arm sucking in another deep breath.

His damaged side sparked to life as he heard a beep coming from the phone by his side. The words LOW BATTERY flashed across the screen as the unit shut down. In his other hand he still held securely to the piece of paper Lexi had handed to him. He nearly jumped out of his skin as a flash of lightning followed by the instant clap of thunder jolted through him. The hairs on his arms standing straight up, this storm was dangerously close to him and there was nowhere for him to hide to get away from it.

Hanson's hands shook as the sound of an engine and brakes squealed close to him. He closed his eyes as the rain began to soak through the material of the blanket. He heard frantic voices and felt the warm strong hand lift the blanket off of his face. He lifted his eyes in fear. Darren had come back to punish him some more. He winced as he was rolled onto his back and the blanket was pulled off of him entirely.

"Get that back seat down he needs to lay flat…" the voice… it was older and gentle but firm and in charge… it was familiar. It belonged to a man whom he had met before.

The rain was pelting him in the face as someone took off a coat and covered him with it. The material was smooth with metal rivets and a buckle. Were they going to kill him to conceal his body for Darren?

"Come on Tommy… buddy we got ya… you're safe." Hanson still trying to place the voice cried out in utter agony as the hands lifted him off of the ground. The pain sent him reeling in the direction of darkness again. He sucked in a raged breath as he tried to fight the hands off of him and stay in the world before someone hurt him again.

"Don't fight us… please... we're trying to help." A distant voice sounded. Tom instantly stopped and reached out in the direction of the voice. He felt his body lowered to the ground again as he reached out a grabbed a leg next to him. Dennis Booker quickly lowered himself to the ground and took the hand while Doug followed suit on the other side supine officer.

"Doug…" Tom sounded sick as his voice cracked like a man with laryngitis.

"Yeah buddy… hang on this is probably gonna hurt." Doug's voice was calm and reassuring to him.

"One… two… three!" and the three men shoved Tom Hanson into the back of Darren's small SUV.

Hanson clutched at his stomach as he was cried out again only to tumble into darkness once again.


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry, this is really short. I just wanted to get something posted...**

**Chapter 12**

Hanson's head shifted from side to side as Booker tore through the First Responder bag Dean had pushed into his arms as they had walked out of the Police Station.

"I need towel or something, he's get something draining from the stitches in his stomach." Doug lay uncomfortably on his stomach in the back of the small SUV. Hanson was next to him drifting in and out of coherency. He would whimper each time Penhall would touch his extremely inflamed side. Through the darkness of the early evening Penhall could see the swollen tissue on Hanson's battered stomach. As Booker passed Penhall back a thick stack of white gauze strips. He took the gauze and looked at them and then at Booker.

"Put pressure on his side, you're trying to draw the infection out." Booker stated.

"When did you become a doctor?" Penhall snapped.

"Doug, his stitches are oozing right?"

"Yeah."

"I didn't see any blood, do you?" Booker retorted.

"No, it's kinda yellow… he's got a lot of swelling there too." Penhall relayed back to Booker.

"Then it stands to reason he's got infection going. He needs it drained and its going to hurt so be ready for him to fight you." Booker confirmed with Doug.

Doug took a deep breath as he slowly lay the gauze on his friend injured side initiating a groan.

"Now put pressure on it." Dennis commanded.

"Dennis, it's gonna…"

"I know, it's gonna hurt, but you have to do Doug." Dennis countered. He could tell by the pleading tone in Doug's voice he didn't want to initiate pain in his best friend. He also knew Tom was in need of help. He had chosen to be a Police Officer, to protect and serve. Not be a Medic, it was almost too much to handle.

Doug held his breath as he reached down and placed the palm of his hand on Tom Hanson's injury and pressed hard triggering an agonizing cry of pain. Hanson brought his hands to Penhall and began to try and push him off.

"Tommy… please…" Doug pleaded with his friend while continuing to hold the gauze in place.

Dennis Booker twisted around in the seat in an effort to help Doug with Tom as he absently tried to get the bigger man to let up. Tears squeezed through Hanson's tightly closed eyes as he continued to grit his teeth once again returning to consciousness. Through all the noise and activity in the vehicle Dean Miller expertly guided them down the raining highway in the direction of Waylon County General Hospital.

--

It felt like forever before the quartet made it to the Emergency Room at County. The hospital was closer to the Chase County lines it was obvious they were going to take the terribly injured officer there. Medical papers had been rushed to the hospital along with the doctor who had treated Hanson for the initial knife injury.

"Were almost there…" Dean stated calmly as he glanced in the rear view mirror.

The shimmering lights of the city danced along as they drove through town. Dean had turned his light bar on to warn traffic that he was in a hurry. The red and blue lights dance playfully off of each glass storefront the men passed by. Tom Hanson shook mercilessly as the fever within him kicked itself into overdrive. The perspiration glistened, beaded and rolled off of his pale skin as Dennis Booker stroked his sweat soaked hair, pushing it back out of his eyes. Doug Penhall dabbed his head lightly as the young officer's eyes fluttered open revealing deep feverish pools of dark shimmering reflection.

"Doug…" Hanson coughed out.

"Shhh…" Penhall cooed in an attempt to keep the younger man calmed.

"Lexi… gave… direction… paper… have to find her." His sentence fell jagged out of his dry cracked lips.

"Were gonna get them both… just relax." Doug answered softly.

"No… have to help her…" Hanson was getting frustrated. His brain was a jumbled fervent mess and his partners… his friends weren't helping. Hanson tried to lift his head only to be pushed back down onto the rigid surface of the makeshift bed.

"Tommy… what are you trying to say?" Dennis Booker insisted as he brushed a hair off of Tom's cheek.

"Have to find Lexi… here… Darren… hurt her…" he shoved the crumpled piece paper into Dennis's hand with his right hand. "She… saved me… I… made a promise." Hanson swallowed hard as the vehicle came to a jarring halt in front of the Emergency Room.

Dennis stuffed the paper quickly into his hip pocket as they all scrambled to help get the injured Tom Hanson out of the back of the SUV with as little pain as possible. The Emergency crew must have been watching because they were out the door and pulling the young officer onto a gurney and wheeling him into the isolated Emergency area where they were not allowed to enter.

Angie Miller exploded through the door and tried to no avail to follow the young officer into the separate area. Dean pulled her tightly to him as they watched the door close to the emergency trauma unit. Tears slid down from her already sleep deprived eyes as she looked helplessly on.

Dennis Booker pulled the piece of paper out of his pocket to see a note written in blue ink on the placid surface.

_Dear Officer Hanson,_

_We are heading towards the Chase County lines on Highway 22. We will then be going in the direction of Shiloh just over the state lines. Please help me Tommy. I am so sorry I helped Darren… he is not the person I thought he was. If you can't help me… it's ok. You're worth all that I went through. I'll be ok as long as he's happy. I will do my best to keep him that way. I am sorry we are leaving you at the side of the road; it was the only way I could save you. I know you are wondering about the cell phone. I tried all the time to make it work where we were at, but no signal. Please tell my mom and dad I am so sorry for the pain I have caused them… I love them both. _

_Tommy… please hurry… I can't take much more._

_Lexi _

"Dennis… you know what this means?" Doug looked at Dennis whose dark eyes flickered.

"We got'em."

**Review time! Tell me what you think!**


	13. Chapter 13

**This is what you guys have been waiting for... sort of!**

**Chapter 13**

Lexi George sat fidgeting in the front passenger seat of her drab brown Pontiac. The rain was coming down harder and the sun had all but disappeared behind endless clouds of grey. It had been nearly six hours since she and Darren Thompson had left officer Tom Hanson wrapped in a quilt at the edge of Pikes Point Bluff. She waited anxiously as Darren navigated his way across Chase county enroot to the state lines; Shiloh wasn't too much further from here. She waited for the wail of sirens to take her from one prison to the next. She shuddered as she replayed the day in her mind… that dreadful, horrible day. _How could you have been so stupid!_

She wanted to cry as she thought about what she had given up, and what she had lost. She knew that the scholarship she had already applied for was probably void now. She was sure that the University of Southern California wouldn't want her now. And her mother and father… what would they think of the situation her perfect, beautiful man had gotten her into. Her mother would sit and brag on her daughter who was dating the quarterback of the football team.

"_He's so handsome, darling… he's such a good boy… he's a keeper… oh Lexi…" _Her mother's words were nauseating to her now. She had just gone on and on with the pressure of dating a football star. _"It makes you look like such a success to have a boyfriend like that. You know we only want the best for our beautiful little girl… you're our only child Lexi… I dated the captain of the football team in high school, you should too." _The pressure was unrelenting. Her mother had thrust all her goals and ambitions on Lexi as a child. She had to work three times harder than all of her friends whose mother would smile and congratulate them for getting a participation ribbon in the coloring contest. For Lexi it had always been about the best… and second place was never good enough for her mother. Why had she let her mother put all this pressure on her? What good had it done? What was she going to do now?

She was brought back to her hellish reality by the hand traveling slowly to her inner thigh. She held her breath and closed her eyes as if doing so would bring the knight in shining armor named Tom Hanson. There were no feelings… not like that. He was an old man… she was a defiled, spoiled, dirty princess whom nobody would ever want to touch again… no one but her tormentor Darren Thompson. She loved him because he had never given up on her. Even when she stuck a gun in his face he was trying to get her to reconsider her actions. If she had only known then… the hell that was her reality now would only be her worst nightmare never imagined.

She shifted uncomfortably under the heat of his hand on her thigh. She hadn't even realized she had shoved his hand away from her until he questioned her.

"What's your problem?" He seethed.

She trembled at the sound of his voice piercing her bring fragile being. "N-Nothing… I just… the road… you need to have both hands to-to drive." Tears glistened in her eyes as the dreary grey sky succumbed to the sun dipping in the horizon. The various shades of red and pink glimmered across the atmosphere.

It was then the red and blue lights began to refract and dance in the window behind the two. Lexi could not contain her relief as the voice came over the intercom. The deep sigh streamed across her lips as Darren obliged. He cursed as he brought the care to a halt on the border of the highway.

"Please pull over to the right side of the road."

A second car appeared from a side road just over the hill activating their rotating dual color lighted signal.

"Keep your fucking mouth shut… got it!" Darren snapped as he pointed his index finger at the young girl's chest.

The second car came to a halt in front of the chocolate colored car. Darren bit down on his jaw as he started to realize the two cars were going to block him in.

"Step out of the car and placed your hands on your head." The disembodied voice demanded.

Darren slammed his fist into the steering wheel. He continued to curse under his breath. He then looked at the girl next to him who was breathing deeply wringing her delicate fingers together.

"How the fuck did they find… you fucking whore… you…" Darren started to throw his door open and step out. "I can't believe… did you screw him too?" Darren demanded. He exploded out of the car and slammed his hands down on the roof of the vehicle just as Lexi shamefully emerged from the vehicle. Silently she turned to face the car as a voice shouted from a distance.

"Put your hands behind your head!" There were several sharp clicks as weapons were drawn and pointed in the direction of the two teens.

Lexi complied immediately as she shook uncontrollably. She watched as Darren faced her glaring with contempt at the woman who had sold him out. Another two cars pulled up to the scene their lights flashing a signal to all to watch as the two young teens were being apprehended. Lexi felt like an animal at a carnival as she watched the face of a little girl pass by in a grey station wagon. It was a new low that she had just hit.

"You have the right to remain silent…" The words she had heard so many times on television. She never thought she would have them read to her as a muscular woman pushed her furiously into the side of the car as they drew her wrists behind her back. The woman then clamped the cold steal handcuffs tightly on her small wrists.

"Do you have any needles, knives or anything on you that could potentially stick me?" The officer asked flatly.

"No ma'am" Lexi answered barely audibly.

She could feel hands sliding along the inside and outside of her legs as they checked for weapons or illegal items on her petite body. She cringed as the officer then felt around her chest and stomach area searching for possible contraband. Lexi looked up to see the steely blue angry stare of Darren Thompson as he was grabbed forcefully and led away to a police cruiser. It was then that Lexi was taken by the arm and led in the direction of a police car… _was it worth it… no… but Tom Hanson was._

--

Lexi was taken to the County jail before the car holding Darren had even left the scene. She was taken through the booking procedures and then to a small room with a reflective glass window. She had seen rooms like this before. She was in an interrogation room. A chill went up her spine as she was seated and left with her arms behind her in metal handcuffs. Her wrists ached from the tightness and loss of feeling in her hands. A chill went up her spine as she heard the door unlatch and the sound of two sets of feet entering the room.

There was a set of feet stop by the door. Lexi wanted to turn around to see who was in there but could not muster the courage to do so. She had been seated with her back to the door so she didn't have a clue what was going on behind her. The second set of feet continued walking and stopped behind her. He slammed a glass coffee cup on the table just in front of the young woman who yelped in fear. She turned her head to stare into the face of a young raven haired man whose eyes danced with independence.

"Your Dennis… Tom's brother…" She tried to relax but the stern look of the young officers face wouldn't allow it.

"No… I'm Officer Dennis Booker, Officer Tom Hanson's partner." She started to sink in her chair as his words cut through her nerves severing the already frayed ends. "I'm here to figure out what roll you had in his disappearance."

Lexi closed her eyes and felt herself tearing up. She was starting to fear that they had found her note, but hadn't gotten to Tom on time. She took a deep breath as she forced her voice to come.

"Is he OK?" She asked in a near whisper.

"Yeah, no thanks to you." Dennis retorted.

"Good…" she sighed quietly. "I-I want to cooperate. I'll testify against Darren." Her voice was a quiver as she tried to sound brave. She was terrified of Darren Thompson and what she saw him do to Tom Hanson. "Just tell me what you need and I'll help all that I can." Lexi was shaking so badly. She stared at the floor and then looked up at Dennis Booker. Her soft blue eyes met his hard dark angered ones. He stared hard at her; he could see tears welling up as he didn't make a move to break the uncomfortable silence that sat stagnate in the room. He noted the bruise on her cheek, the cut with deep bruising on her forehead. With his eyes he traced the path of the cut from her hairline to her eyebrow. He noted the greenish hue with traces of purple also outlining a cut on the corner of her full lips. He then wondered what had happened to her. He remembered her being so put together, tanned and gorgeous. The kind of girl high school boys and grown men had fantasies about.

"I think you may want to wait on your lawyer… your facing some serious charges." Dennis advised

"No… I want to give my statement. I was wrong to do what I did to help him and I…" Lexi paused taking a long deep breath. She looked down at the floor and placed a shaking hand on the table in front of her. She looked up again as a tear escaped from the corner of her eye. "I can't let him do any of this again."

Dennis could remember something in the letter Hanson had handed him…_"You're worth all that I went through... Please help me; I can't take much more…"_ Had Darren been working this girl over too? Booker nodded to the officer at the door who walked over to the young girl and released her wrists. Lexi let out a deep breath as she rubbed the reddened flesh of her dainty wrists.

"Stay with her… I'll be back." He advised the officer in the room.

--

Dean Miller met Dennis just outside the interrogation room.

"Is everything alright?" Dean asked as he took a long drink from his glass mug.

"I'm not sure." Dennis stated. "Did anyone make a not of how torn up this girl looked when they brought her in?"

"Uh, I think there was some information jotted down about how banged up she was. But I'm not sure anyone talked to her about it." Dean stated.

"Dean… you need to get a counselor in here… I think Darren may have raped her." Booker recommended pulling the box of Marlboro cigarettes from his jacket pocket. She also wants to give her statement. She doesn't want a lawyer present."

"Her parents are on the way." Dean stated taking a deep breath in.

"How's Tommy?" Booker asked looking up at the officer in charge. His eyes had a new found compassion warming in them.

"Sleeping… they had to cut some infection out, and he has a kidney infection, quite a few bruises and a cracked rib, but he's strong… he'll be ok." Dean answered

Dennis breathed out a deep breath as he looked at Dean Miller who took another long drink of his coffee. The look of exhaustion reflected in his bloodshot eyes.

"Is Angie with him right now?" Dennis wanted so badly to be there with Angie and Doug waiting to see Tommy wake up.

"Yeah, she said she would call if he woke up. There's also an armed guard on his door… we both know he'll love that." Dean winked at the younger officer. "You know Dennis… someone did some work on him out there. Doctor says that if whoever hadn't put a wet hot rag over his infected stitches he would be a whole lot worse off. Turns out Tommy has a slight burn where his stitches are."

"You think that she…"

"Dennis… I don't think Darren had a whole lot to do with helping him… Do you?"

Dennis ran a hand through his inky locks. He felt dumb after asking that question. _Of course she did you idiot… who else was out there… duh!_ Dean's answer confirmed Dennis's suspicions and only acted as fuel to ignite the flames of anger and frustration in him.

"He's in the isolation cell… camera's can be turned off at the desk before you walk in. Just don't forget to turn them back on. I trust that when you go get Doug the two of you will not do anything too noticeable although he deserves it… and more." Dean responded as he took one last drink of his coffee before heading into the interrogation room with Lexi to take her statement.

**More to come! Please review!!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Please enjoy!**

**Chapter 14**

Doug had just walked into the front door of the Waylon County Police Office when Dennis Booker grabbed the officer by the arm and pulled him in the direction of the holding cells.

"We have work to do!" He growled as he pulled the bigger man along behind him.

"What… what the hell are you…" Doug continued on behind the irate officer.

Booker led the two of them to the area of the holding cells where they stopped. He shoved the other officer into the observation room where Penhall could see the battered Alexia George giving Dean Miller, another officer and two others a written and recorded statement. Penhall stared in disbelief at her; her face was discolored in places where various contusions and abrasions in different levels of healing muddled her once flawless appearance.

"What happened to her?" Penhall gasped. He could remember her just slamming body and eye-popping good looks. It was heart breaking to see her reduced to this… the terrified and abused shell of the high spirited young woman she once was. "Did he…"

"Yeah… I would almost bet on it. He raped her and beat her. She's the only reason Hanson's alive today." Booker's words were like gasoline thrown onto flames. Penhall breathed a deep breath before he turned to look back at his partner. He could hear her as she began to relive the beating she had sustained when she tried to help Hanson after she first noticed the swelling in his side. Her words sent a chill up and down his spine. He watched guilt ridden as she continued to tell about how he violently assaulted and then raped her when he felt that she was spending too much time taking care of Tommy.

"He was trying to protect me… I mean Officer Hanson was trying to protect me. He told Darren to leave me alone." She sniffled as she continued to relive the terrifying day. "He had me pinned to the wall. He had his hand around my throat. I kept telling him to stop… he just kept touching me… shoving me against the wall." She looked down at the ground. She shuddered wrapping her arms around her petite frame. When she looked up tears were streaming down her face.

"We can take a break." Dean responded in his best understanding father voice. Penhall could see the anger rising in the police captain as he shifted in his chair. He could see how much Dean wanted to reach out and just pull the young girl into his arms and just hold her while she continued to sob.

"No… I have to… I have to tell you. Officer Hanson told him to leave me alone. He sounded so sick. I sort of blacked out then for a few seconds and then I saw him shove Officer Hanson into the wall. I… he looked bad like he would drop at any second. I-I did the only thing I could."

"What was that?" Dean asked. Dennis could see by his expression that the elder officer already knew the answer but protocol said he had to ask.

She took in a deep breath as another bout of tears threatened to spill over the already bloodshot rims of her once crystal blue eyes. She closed her eyes as she answered. "I told him… he didn't want to do this… to let me… try and help him find something… to calm his nerves." She opened her eyes only to reveal the clear tears as they rolled down her cheeks. "I didn't want to… I tried to tell him that… I didn't want to… he started to hit… me. He threw me into the wall of the bed room and ripped my shirt. He pulled me off of the floor by my hair and… he… he… Captain Miller… I'm sorry…" The young girl was resolved to tears.

She continued to sob uncontrollably as Dean Miller lifted his hand to his head running his fingers through the salt and pepper locks. He took a deep breath as he stood up and walked towards the young girl. He crouched down in front of Lexi he lifted her chin to look at the vulnerable, broken girl's battered face. A thousand memories of Lexi as a young child came crashing through him. He remembered her as a little girl riding her bike up and down the streets in front of the station house, pony tails blowing in the breeze. He could see her with braces and a glowing smile on her face at the local grocery store helping her mother carry bags to the car. He remembered last year she was named Miss Waylon County at the County Fair. She had literally sparkled as the tiara was placed on her head. Dean and Angie had judged the pageant for years. He had remembered how the other girls had just flocked to her because of her amazing personality.

"I'm… so sorry…" tears continued to run down her face as she fell forward into Dean Millers arms. He held her tightly feeling the warm current of tears seeping through the material on his tan colored uniform shirt. She continued to cling tightly to his neck as he patted her back and looked over at the counselor and the county defender.

"We're taking a break. Get her something to drink and a blanket. We may need to arrange a place for her to stay, she's nearly spent. Get someone from the crisis center over here, we have a rape case on our hands and I don't want this kid getting away with anything else." Dean quietly ordered.

--

Penhall watched as the people in the room scattered in several different directions. He noted the female officer who remained in the room with Dean Miller and Lexi George as Dean picked the young girl up and carried her over to the couch that had been unused in the farthest corner of the interrogation room. The female officer brought a bottle of water and a thick grey wool blanket.

"Her parents are in the lobby." Officer Morgan added as she acknowledged her orders.

"Let her rest… when Dr. Casey and Glenn get back, wake her up… she is got a rather uncomfortable night ahead of her." Dean stated softly as Lexi seemed to have calmed down enough that he could leave her side.

"Great… thanks… take care of her." Dean sighed as he gathered his nerves and prepared to walk out the door. Dean hesitated in the doorway as he watched the young female guard take his place at the side of the blighted teen. He took another deep breath as the teen took the officers hand as she curled up under the blanket shuddering occasionally as she would battle another torrent of tears. He had no desire to deal with two of the most overbearing people in the world, but he had to go and discuss the possibility of jail time for their daughter and how they would not be able to see her for a while tonight as the crisis team were going to have to take the girl to their facility to check to see if there was any evidence left on her to prove Darren Thompson had raped the girl.

--

"Have they brought him in for questioning yet?" Penhall's voice was low and cold.

"No… he's still in holding." Dennis responded.

"Come on…" Doug snarled.

The door to Darren's holding cell creaked open and in stepped Doug Penhall and Dennis Booker. Darren had been lying on his back on the cot in his cell.

"Well, well if it isn't supper cop's brothers. You must be Doug and Dennis… PIG. He sneered.

Doug's eyes narrowed as he charged the young man pinning him too the wall. Doug was over the top with anger as Booker caught him before he could land the blow to Darren's face he had been holding in since he had watched the young man shove a knife into Hanson's midsection. It had been horrifying holding Tom in his arms as he had lay bleeding to death in his arms. He had struggled as the medics had swooped in and taken his friend away from him. Now he was just plain pissed off.

"You lay a hand on me… my father will have your badges." Darren spat at the young officers.

Booker had his hand on Doug's shoulders as the bigger officer released the teen.

"Your father…" Doug stopped. He looked back at Dennis Booker who had released Penhall from his grasp. "Your father can't help you at all my friend."

Darren narrowed his ice blue eyes at the officer as he let him go.

"That's what I thought." Darren snorted.

"Perhaps you didn't hear my 'pig' friend here…" Doug turned to Dennis who had the flame of anger dancing in his dark eyes. "Your father hasn't been by to see you yet has he?" Booker inquired.

"What does it matter to you what my father does and doesn't do?" The now orphaned teen asked.

"You know Darren; I've had to do this more than once. In fact, I had it done to me once. Tommy, he had this kind of news delivered to him at a dance. It isn't easy for most people to hear, but I imagine you'll probably not give a damn… so here goes. Your father… Jim… he hung himself after you kidnapped Officer Tom Hanson. He left a note… not that you really care. Maybe someday when you have finished thinking you are so much better than everyone else you will realize what you lost and try to fix yourself up from there." Doug stated the same cold tenacity in his words that Darren had put in his mocking of Booker, Hanson and himself. "Between what you did to Tom Hanson, Kirk Davis and Lexi…"

Darren shook his head and looked back at the officers with an icy stare. "You are just as full of it as the old man always was. Darren… your ma's sick… Darren… you need to help out a little more at home… Darren… you know what fuck him, fuck you and fuck that stupid asshole that walked in here like he owned the place. Your stupid pig friend, what's his name… Tommy. I don't give a damn." He seethed. "And as for Lex I didn't do anything to that back stabbing bitch she didn't want."

This time Dennis was prepared to scramble the teen's circuits. He lunged past Doug grabbing a handful of Darren's white t-shirt while slamming the boy to the wall. He drew back his fist ready to connect with the younger mans face.

Frantically Doug grabbed Dennis by the arm snaking his arm around the slightly smaller man's waist pulling him back towards his own body. He held onto the man his arms wrapped tightly around Dennis's whole body squeezing with all the energy he had. Although Doug was bigger Dennis was a powerhouse and he could put up one amazing fight.

"NO! Dennis… he's not worth it." Doug pulled Dennis off of the teen that stood defiantly against the wall his wicked ice blue eyes watching the officers leave with contempt.

--

Once out in the hall Dennis forcefully slammed his fist into the concrete and cinderblock wall. The jarring impact was absorbed in the unscathed wall and sent the angry officer walking down the hallway shaking his right hand. Doug watched as Dennis pounded on the exit door to the holding area with his uninjured left hand. Dean stepped out from behind the desk holding a video tape in his hand.

"What's that?" Doug asked.

"The start of Darren's confession." Dean stated. "Did he break his hand?"

Doug let out a sigh. "Probably, he might just be too steamed to know it yet. Did you see what went down in there?"

Dean scratched his head and looked the younger officer in the eyes. "Yeah and I'm proud of the two of you."

"Why… I mean…" Doug was confused at the compliment.

"I told Dennis where to turn the tape off at and gave the two of you the chance to have a private conversation with Darren before I turn him over for prosecution. You talked to him, but I wouldn't have been able to contain myself in there."

"Thanks, but I think you would have." Doug replied shrugging his shoulder.

"No… after watching him nearly kill Tommy, with all that happened with Jim and then what he did to Lexi… I watched that girl grow up and now she's looking at jail time also. The sad part is she's a victim in this too. I probably would have killed that maggot." He stated spitefully. "Come on, Angie just called and Tommy just woke up… besides I think Dennis is going to need an x-ray."

Dean placed and inviting arm over Doug's muscular shoulder and walked like a proud father with his son.

**Sorry no roundhouse kick to the forehead... but... he's not gonna get away with it. Stick around because we're not done yet... no read and review, that always makes me a happy bunny:-)**


	15. Chapter 15

**I know... short chapter! Sorry, I was rushed to get it up and I wanted to give you at least something to read during the holiday! Have a great Labor Day and I'll eat a hot dog for you tewksgirl!**

**Chapter 15**

Tom Hanson woke slowly from a deep dreamless sleep. He could feel the slightest caress of a hand gently stroking his sweat sticky head. He felt disoriented as he lifted his hand towards the person who was attending him

"L-Lex… I… Darren"

"Shhh… you're safe. Just relax…"

The words from the familiar voice were soft and gentle. He felt warm and he was lying on a feathery soft mattress. He could hear the endless BEEP… BEEP… BEEP of the monitor as it measured his sinus rhythm. He tried to lift his head but it just felt so heavy to him. He then felt moderate pressure from a set of hands as they gently pushed him back down onto the spongy surface of the mattress.

"Tommy… try not to move. You're bleeding a little still from your surgery."

Tom swallowed had as he turned his head in the direction of the voice. He slowly opened his eyes seeing the gentle, beautiful face of Angie Miller looking back at him.

"Angie…"

"Yeah baby… just get some rest. You've been through a lot." She smiled back at Tom Hanson. She was so happy to see Hanson waking up. The doctor had cut out some scar tissue and done some minor work to the infected area. Hanson was on several antibiotics and heavy pain medication. The combination of medication had helped to make the young officer drowsy.

Hanson squeezed Angie's hand as he swallowed what felt like razor blades gouging at the back of his parched throat.

"Water… I'm thirsty." He wanted to open keep his eyes open but they were so heavy that he closed them almost as quickly as the words escaped from his mouth.

"Ok." Angie squeezed his hand again and then let him go walking over to a try which had been sitting at the end of the hospital bed. She took the glass and poured the clear cool liquid into the plastic cup. She then took the white plastic straw and bent the flexible neck. She then walked back over to where Hanson lay with his eyes closed breathing lightly.

The feeling of guilt was overwhelming to her as she watched the young officer sleep again. He had asked for the drink, but had fallen asleep so rapidly. She stood quietly at the edge of the bed and debated to herself if she should or shouldn't… she should after all the doctor had said he was severely dehydrated and had a kidney infection.

She walked slowly around the bed and gently laid her hand on the young man's forehead. Tom took a deep breath and slowly opened his deep brown eyes. He struggled to sit up as Angie gently pushed him back down.

"No hun… the bed moves." She pushed the button on the side of the bed while it lifted slowly. Once happy with where it sat she helped Hanson with the cup holding it while the sedated officer unsteadily took the straw between his chapped lips and sipped slowly on the refreshing liquid.

The stream of liquid slid down his throat offering him cool thirst-quenching comfort. After several seconds Hanson released the straw from his lips and laid his head back on the pillow.

"So tired." Hanson stated sleepily.

"I know… just get some rest. You've got some recovery time ahead of you." Angie smiled at Tom who closed his eyes again. There was no time left before he had drifted off into sweet slumber breathing lightly. She lowered the bed again into a more flat position so Tom could sleep comfortably. He stirred slightly as she lowered the bed but didn't entirely wake up again. It wasn't long until he was sleeping deeply once again.

--

She had told Dean that she would call him when Tom had wakened again, but she knew that he would be in and out of coherency for a while. She stood up and carried the cup over to the small table and then walked quietly to the door. She stopped and picked the phone up from the cradle. With nimble fingers she dialed the number to the Waylon County Police Station.

"Waylon County Police Department, Officer Lang speaking…" the female voice carried elegantly across the phone.

"Carrie, this is Angie is Dean available?" Angie spoke quietly into the phone. She watched the young officer's chest rise and fall as he was lying in the bed.

"Sure Angie… he said to get him the second you called. Give me just a minute."

"Thanks." Angie replied.

Angie waited a few minutes when she heard Dean's deep voice come over the phone. He sounded troubled to her but she couldn't be sure.

"Hey my angel…" Dean stated.

"Hello… is everything alright?" She asked. She knew that it wasn't. He had told her earlier that they had apprehended Darren and Alexia.

"No… I can't talk about it right now. Is Tommy awake?" He asked.

"Off and on, he's terribly groggy. Are you and the boys able to come down and see him soon?" She asked.

"Yeah… I'm going to go and get them and we'll be along shortly." He stated. "I love you so much… you know that right." Dean asked. His voice cracked as he asked his lady love the deeply distressed question.

"I know you do… it's gonna be okay Dean… I promise." Her voice projecting the smile he needed.

"I know… it's just such a waste. Lexi… she… I love you Ang… I'll see you soon." Dean stated his voice cracking again with the weight of his emotions.

"I love you and I'll see you soon." Angie stated holding her emotions in check.

"Goodbye." Dean lay the phone down on the cradle.

He turned his chair to face the back wall where he laid his head in his hands. He let out a deep sigh as he felt a tear slip down his cheek. The all out stress of the weeks that had lead to the events thus far were starting to overwhelm him. He needed to regain his composure and find Doug and Dennis. He was sure he knew where they would be.

**Hope this didn't confuse you too much, it was kinda what was going on while the whole conversation with Lexi was going on... Please review and thanks again!**


	16. Chapter 16

**This chapter is a little lighter than the others, but it is about to get heavy again! Enjoy!!**

**Chapter 16**

Doug and Dennis walked quietly past the armed officer stationed outside of Tom Hanson's hospital room door and into the dimly lit room. Angie stood up quickly from her seat next to the lightly breathing officer and walked quickly over to greet them.

"How is he?" Doug whispered after being greeted with a tight hug.

"Sleeping… he's been awake off and on, but the medication they have him on just keeps knocking him back out." Angie whispered back.

Doug mustered a smile and moved past Angela Miller who had stepped up to hold onto Dennis Booker in a tight motherly embrace. Dennis stood and let the woman cling tightly to his neck as he could feel the tension of the day slowly release from the strong woman. He could smell the familiar sweetness of her lilac perfume as it filled his senses. The smell taking him back to the first day he had met the amazing woman.

"I'm glad you two are here. He needs you both." She sniffled slightly as she stood holding onto the young officer.

"Are you okay?" Dennis asked softly. He could feel the quiver of her body indicating tears. It was apparent to him how much this amazing woman had been the backbone of their whole "family." She had cooked their meals, cleaned their clothes… all the things a mother does for her family. She had been amazing. It was when Tom Hanson had disappeared that it had sent her over the edge. The two had developed an amazing bond and to just be able to do nothing had taken it's tole on the astounding female.

"Yeah…" She sniffled again. She let out a deep sigh as she pulled away from the tall dark haired officer. She smiled as she grasped his face between the digits of both of her hands. She then released his face as she felt another tear escape her eyes.

Booker was uncomfortable watching the woman wipe tears from her face. The feeling he had was the same one he felt every time he watched his mother tear up. He could feel a knot form in the bottom of his gut as he reached up and brushed a stray curl from her face.

"When's Dean…" she asked softly.

"He said to give him about an hour. He had something come up with the case he needed to deal with first and then he'll be along." Dennis responded.

Booker wrapped his arms around her shoulders as she turned her back to him. There holding her back to his muscular chest the two watched Doug take Tom Hanson's hand in his own. With his free hand Doug Penhall reached across the silently sleeping officer's battered face sweeping a stray lock from his brow. They could hear Doug take a sighing breath as if it would help to relieve the pain that seemed to consume the sleeping officer.

--

Tom's breathing changed as he stirred. His eyes fluttered opened as he concentrated on the face of his partner standing over him. He thought hard as if he didn't recognize the bigger man.

"Doug?" His voice cracked.

"Yeah buddy, it's me…" Penhall cooed as he seated himself in the chair next to the injured officer.

"Where's Dennis?" Hanson asked weakly.

"Here." Dennis responded stepping towards the hospital bed. He had his arm wrapped around Angie Miller and the two moved together towards the officer.

The bed ridden officer looked so frail as he struggled to keep his eyes open. His skin was pallid next to the dark bruising on his cheeks. He took a deep breath as if trying to calm himself as he struggled to sit up. Angie quickly hit the button to lift his bed higher.

"Thanks, Angie." Hanson murmured.

"Can I get you anything?" The bigger officer asked.

"Stay… please… I don't want… to be alone." The officer started to close his eyes as he drifted off again.

Angie had retrieved Tom's water glass and quickly reminded the officer he needed to take a drink. Without protest Hanson took the white straw between his cracked lips sucked down some of the cool, clear liquid. Hanson then laid his head back against the pillow and started to drift off into sweet slumber again. Booker stifled a yawn as he took a seat next to Officer Hanson and it wasn't long before Hanson's room was filled with the quiet snoring of three weary sleep deprived officers. Angie smiled to herself as she herself was starting to feel rundown from the week's events. She crawled into the third chair that had been brought into the room and sat next to the hospital bed. She lay her head against the back of the chair and felt herself drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

--

"Good morning beautiful." Dean's voice brought Angie out of the deep sleep. She rubbed her eyes groggily smiling at the tall man facing her.

"Dean." She whispered grabbing him around his neck. The two pulled away and then Dean lifted Angie's chin and kissed her softly on the lips.

"What time is it?" She asked almost embarrassed at being caught napping in the room full of boys.

"Six in the morning. I'm sorry it took so long to get here. I had some things that needed done and I didn't want the boys to have to do them." He smiled at his wife who continued to rub her burning eyes. It was evident to him that she needed more than a nap in an uncomfortable chair. "Let's go get some food… we need to talk."

"Is everything ok?" She asked trying to stand up from the confines of the chair. She started to stumble to be caught by her husband.

"Are _you_ ok?" He asked in a jovial tone.

"Yeah… stupid chair." She retorted.

Dean grinned taking the opportunity to wrap his arms around his wife's narrow waist and hold her warm body tight against his. He stood tall next to her frame. Although his wife was a tall woman at nearly five foot eleven, his lanky six foot four frame made her look short. It was then he ran his hand through her thick auburn hair and kissed her warm full lips again. This time he took his time to enjoy the gift of the few seconds they had together. He had been so consumed with this case that he had forgotten to allow himself the pleasure of her company and her body in his arms.

"Dean… we need to get out of here before we wake these boys up." She smiled as she pulled herself from his kiss.

"There's a bathroom over there." He responded with a playful wink.

"Dean!" She whispered with a quiet shout. She playfully slapped the man as he continued to stifle his laughter. She pushed the man out the door before she lost it and laughed allowed or let him take her into the bathroom. Before they left they instructed the officer waiting outside the door to tell the younger men where they were going so they would not be concerned if they woke up and noticed them gone.

**I know it was short, but I will try to post a longer one later:-) Please read and review...**


	17. Chapter 17

**Sorry I was behind getting this up. There is not much left so hang tight we are nearly finished!**

**Chapter 17**

It was late in the evening when Tom's pain medication had started to ware off. Dean had taken this as a chance to go and gather information on Tom's side of what had happened during his time with Lexi and Darren. He had sent Doug and Dennis home with Angie to prepare for the preliminary hearing. Both teens were being held in lock up. Although they weren't worried about Lexi, they wanted to be sure that Darren had no chance of getting to her and convincing her not to testify against him.

He had felt terrible telling the already victimized girl that she would have to be detained for her part in the kidnapping of Tom Hanson. He remembered how the girl looked down at the floor and shook her head as if she already knew what was in store for her. Fortunately Dean was able to secure her at the Waylon Count Police station. He had an officer clean up an old holding cell and move a cot into it for her. It had been used for sometime as a "drunk tank". The good thing was that she was completely isolated from the rest of the men in the facility. Dean didn't want to subject the young girl to the Juvenile correctional facility until he knew for sure that was what the judge was going to do with her. He had left Officer Morgan in charge of making sure that Lexi was taken care of. The young officer had agreed. She herself was fresh out of the academy and wasn't ready for patrol yet. She had been jibed and ribbed for her smaller stature and youthful appearance. Dean was just thrilled that the girl had eagerly taken control of the situation with Lexi. The young officer seemed to be genuinely concerned for her welfare.

Dean approached Tom's room just as a young nurse walked out of the door. He looked at the officer on duty outside of the room and nodded his head at the young officer.

"How is everything going sir?" The young man asked.

"Good, are you keeping things under control here Keith?" Dean asked the officer.

"Yes sir." He responded with a smile.

"Have they said anything about Hanson tonight?" Dean inquired.

"Seems to be more coherent, I think that's how the doctor put it. Sir, I was wondering something." The young officer began.

"What was that son?" Dean inquired.

"Do you think I could… well I would like to do what these men do. I want to work with kids… undercover stuff. I know that this isn't the big city or anything but… I think with crime being what it is and more kids getting involved in stuff like drugs and violence… I think it'd be a good thing. We could work with Chase County and other counties."

"Keith… you and I are on the same page. We'll talk about this in a week ok… don't let me forget. You and a few others are on my mind for this project. Now, I don't want to chat and leave, but I have a court case to prepare for and I need to get a statement from Tommy in here." Dean stated politely trying to excuse himself.

The older officer didn't want to give too much information away as to what he was working on; he was just finding it hard to conceal his future plans from eager officers. He knew he would have no trouble filling to positions with officers who could do the job. He wanted to do a cartwheel when the young man expressed interest in the job. He was eager to recruit kids who hadn't lived in the area their whole lives and Keith and Morgan were at the top of his list.

--

Dean walked through the door into Tom Hanson's room. The officer was seated at the side of his hospital bed grasping his sutured side with his right hand. He was breathing heavily as he was attempting to put his feet on the floor.

"Tom… what the hell are you doing?" Dean asked his voice flooded with concern.

"Court tomorrow. I need to get ready for tomorrow." Tom panted. He sucked in a hissing breath through his teeth as he moved causing pain to shoot through his stomach and his side. He closed his eyes and his face seemed to contort as the pain washed over him.

"No you don't. You're not going anywhere." The older officer stated. He wasn't doing a very good job of sounding authoritative as his voice gave way to sounding more like a concerned father.

Dean moved over to the side of the bed where the officer was struggling to stand. Hanson looked up with tired bloodshot eyes that seemed to plead for help. He could see the begging desire to go but there was no way he would be released to come to court, or anywhere.

"I… have too. Lexi… she needs me… I… OW!" Hanson nearly doubled over as he stood on the floor for the first time in days.

"Tommy… get back in bed. Here…"

The older officer was on the floor instantly with the younger officer. He lifted Hanson's arms around his shoulders and helped him to stand. He then helped to place the officer into the bed. Dean then lifted the covers over the pained officer's legs and adjusted the pillows behind his head. Tom had broken out into an instant cold sweat just from moving the few feet that he had.

"Tom… this is just a pre trial. They are just setting bail and a date." Dean stated trying to reason with the stubborn officer.

"Dean please…"

Tom's voice cracked as he pleaded with the older officer. He looked up at the older officer frustration and hurting radiating all over his strained features. It was almost more than Dean could handle as Hanson took a breath closing his eyes to the world as his jaw quivered. Dean Miller could see his teeth clinched together as he struggled to stave off the pain that continued to wash over his weakened frame.

After a time Tom regained his lost composure and breathed a deep sigh. He looked up at Dean with overwhelming sadness in his eyes.

"Where's Lexi?" He asked quietly.

"She's at the station. Where holding her there until the Judge determines bail and a trial date." He answered.

"What do you mean you're holding her?" Hanson asked his voice rising as he spoke.

"I mean just that Tom, we arrested her and Darren and we are holding them both. He is being held in a single cell in the isolation area and she is on the opposite side of the building. She is upstairs and I left her in the care of Officer Morgan. She's safe and is going to be well taken care of." Dean tried to convince Tom that she was okay but he wasn't going to hear it.

"You arrested her? Do you have any idea what she went through for me? He raped her and beat her because of me. He brutalized her because she tried to help me…" Hanson was upset and out of his mind with worry. He took both hands and ran them through his wild hair. He looked up at his superior officer with a look of disgust and despair dancing in his deep brown eyes.

"Tom… I know what you're going through…"

"No you don't. I really don't think you have a clue." Hanson snapped.

"You need to wait one minute young man. Now I know that you went through a lot out there. Well we went through a lot here. I also do know what she went through because I have already taken a full statement from her. I was also outside the door to the exam room while they probed the poor child looking for anything to hold her butthead of a boyfriend responsible for her rape. I held that girl in my arms as she cried for nearly an hour after she was examined. What I don't think you realize is how hard it was for me to have to watch them process her like a common criminal. I watched her grow up and now I am preparing to watch her be arraigned for committing the kidnapping of an injured police officer at gun point none the less. Do I think she should be in jail… no… do I think she should have to be on trial for this… no… do you think that the judge gives a damn what I think… no!" Dean slammed his notebook down on the table in front of Hanson as he took a deep breath and tried to calm his frazzled nerves.

He knew that Tom was right and he also knew that he had done the right thing. He could have sent the girl home to her mom and dads for the night. He also knew that her parents were so concerned with public image that they would probably have loaded her up in the car and run in the middle of the night. But they would have chided the girl for hours before they had made the decision.

"Tommy… I'm sorry. I just…" Dean ran his hand over his chin and along his jaw as he glanced out the window and then back at the officer who looked shamefully at the floor.

"Tom, I know that you have been faced with a decision like this before. When you think that someone should be spared punishment, that isn't our job. Our job is to enforce the law, not interpret it. I have no plans on ever becoming a judge, I'm sure they have a harder time sleeping at night than I do. Tommy I don't want this for her anymore than you do, but she has to answer for what she did. Now it's up to you to be there for her when this is all over."

"But Dean, someone has to stand up for her." Hanson replied doing his best to get comfortable in the highly uncomfortable bed.

"And you will Tommy. The judge is going to want to hear what you have to say… so just wait your turn. I promise that you will get it."

The elder officer sat down on a chair at the end of the bed. He watched the young officer as he pondered what Dean had just said to him. He knew that Dean was right. He knew that Lexi had screwed up in a big way. He also knew that he had an ache in the pit of his stomach about the whole thing. He couldn't shake the feeling there was more to this whole ordeal than just her taking punishment twice for what she had done.

"I'm sorry Dean. I… guess I forgot…" Tommy sighed as he continued to stare a hole in the floor beneath his bed.

"Tommy…" Dean leaned forward and grabbed the officer chin and lifted it till the young undercover officer was looking him in the eyes. "It's okay. I'm gonna do what I can for Lexi and I promise that you will get a chance to be heard."

"Are they going to try her as an adult?" Hanson asked. He was terrified that she would spend the next fifteen years in prison for her part in the case.

"No… I have already talked to George Larrick. He's pushing for her to be tried as a youth. Darren, he's not gonna be so lucky. He's facing murder charges, kidnapping, assault of a police officer, attempted murder, rape. He's facing things I'm sure he hasn't even thought of yet. Dad's not here to cover for him anymore so he's on his own. It's a shame too… he was such a good little boy to have grown into the iceman that he became." Dean sated as he watched Tom's face.

"I'm worried." Hanson stated.

"I know you are… she'll be fine." Dean replied.

"I hope so." Tom answered as he looked up at Dean again. "Do you mind staying a while? I'm getting tired and sleep… I keep dreaming… bad dreams just…"

"I'd be glad to stick around son." Dean responded. He watched as Tom Hanson lay his head back on the pillows and close his eyes. The older officer stood up and walked over to the side of the bed. He took a deep breath as the young officer was soon snoring softly. "Sleep tight my boy…" Dean squeezed his hand and sat down in the chair next to the officer and closed his own weary eyes.

**Ok, please read and review! The reviews mean the world to me so don't be shy! Thanks again for all my readers, I really hope you are enjoying this. If you are drop me a line and feel free to give me ideas on what you would like to read about later. BTW, I will be picking up My Brothers Keeper soon too! Thanks again... Later!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Thanks for the reviews! They help me a lot... well we are almost to the end so hand in there... especially you FYH!! LOL, I know what you want to read;-)**

**Chapter 18**

The hardest part was watching her. She was escorted into the courtroom wearing a simple black dress. Her athletic build was hardly disguised by the fabric that hugged her curves and danced lightly across her shapely legs. It didn't seem to matter though she still looked like a caged animal… lost, small, and scared. Lexi walked into the courtroom her hair pulled back on the sides revealing her frightened cobalt eyes. She had very little makeup on but she didn't need it… she was beautiful without it. Tom's heart nearly skipped a beat when she was stopped dead in front of him. The rattle of the chains around her delicate wrists made Hanson's stomach knot. Her almond shaped eyes caught his as she was ordered to present her wrists by the rather intimidating female guards posted on either side of her.

She had been remanded to custody of the Metro Juvenile Center for Girls after the judge ordered no bail due to the nature of the crime that had been committed. He swallowed hard as she sent him a shy almost tortured smile. It was when she bit her lip as he looked back that brought a half smile to his pained face. Hanson's heart ached as she was told to sit and not move.

It wasn't too much longer that Darren was brought into the courtroom. The bitter look of hate raged as he was ushered into the courtroom by two large armed men. He was wearing a grey sport coat, white button up shirt and a black tie to match his trousers. He looked almost model esc as he was escorted into the courtroom. He walked through the room glancing from side to side and then stopping nearly next to Lexi. He was then ordered to present his wrists at which time he glanced to his side and grinned coldly as he noted Tom Hanson seated in the second row directly behind Lexi George. The rather large armed guard released his restraints and then ordered him to sit.

Hanson could feel his blood begin to boil as he watched Lexi shy away as he leaned in towards her ear.

"Doug… are they going to stop him?" Hanson whispered to his partner.

"Tommy I think that he is allowed to talk to her. He has all week."

Tom watched as Lexi lifted her head and looked towards one of her guards. The taller woman walked over to Lexi and took the girl by the arm and walked her over to the far side of the defendants table. The guard then leaned over and told Lexi something to which the frightened young woman nodded her head barley lifting her eyes. He watched as she mouthed the words thank you to the woman. She then sat at the table her eyes boring a whole through the middle of the table. She looked so nervous it hurt to watch her.

"Tommy… he's harassed her all week." Dennis replied.

"How?" Hanson asked as his eyes never left the female at the table in front of him.

He felt terrible knowing that he was the reason she was going through all of this. He had been absent from the trial because his doctor wouldn't release him from the hospital. Dean had promised to speak on his behalf at the trial and also promised an audience with the judge and the jury. The trial was kept closed due to the age of Lexi and Darren. There was also the attempt to prevent a media circus and to try and conceal the identity of the undercover officers involved with the case. The wait to see that Lexi was ok had the young Officer Hanson nearly sick with worry. He watched as she lifted her right hand to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her right ear. She smiled a tight lipped smile as her lawyer walked in and clapped her gently on the shoulder. Darren raised his eyes and looked over in the direction of what was now his ex-girlfriend. He had her and he destroyed her.

"She had been accused of inviting the assault on you and herself. At one point Darren had his lawyer asking her if she had anything to do with the idea of grabbing you and using you to get across the state lines." Dennis alleged.

"But she didn't… I mean she did grab me… but that was it. Once she realized what he was doing it was like she tried everything she could to stop it. She took more than one beating for me. When do I get to tell my side of this?" Hanson fumed. He was so sick of hearing what everyone else thought that he wanted to jump out of his skin.

There was a click and then a door was opened as the Jury filed in one at a time and took their seats in the box. There was a second click as a bailiff for the court closed the door as the last member took their seat.

"All rise! The Honorable Judge William H. Byron is proceeding over this case, number 116-475 the people verses Darren Thompson and Alexia George." The deep demanding voice echoed through the room as everyone in the room jumped to their feet. A man about forty-five years old walked into the room and took his seat at the front of the court room. He picked up his gavel and smacked it against the surface of the desk causing Hanson to nearly jump out of his skin. He had been to numerous court hearings a simple hammering of the gavel was nothing… his nerves were on edge as he prepared to tell the judge, jury and the rest of the world what had happened.

"Be seated." The stony faced judge declared.

On cue all the bodies in the room were seated.

"Is Officer Thomas Hanson present?" He asked in a stern voice.

"Yes sir." Tom responded.

"We will be meeting in my chambers. The rest of the court is in recess for one hour." He affirmed.

The judge tapped his gavel as he rose to his feet.

"All rise!" The booming voice announced again.

As If on cue the courtroom again rose to its feet. Tom looked from side to side. He was confused as Dean took the officer by the arm and pulled him towards the bench.

"The jury has already come to a decision." He told Tom.

"I thought…"

"Tommy, all you are doing is helping the judge to determine what punishment will be handed down."

Tom felt the sudden flush of fever as panic spread through his body. He looked over at Lexi George who tried to flash a smile as she stood trembling next to her lawyer. Dennis Booker reached across the medium and patted the girl softly on the shoulder. She instinctively reached up and took the hand. He could see the fear in her eyes. His eyes were then caught by Darren Thompson who narrowed his glare at the officer sending a cold chill up his spine.

"But Lexi shouldn't… I mean…"

"Tom she asked to be held responsible for her part in this. The judge wants to hear what you have to say before he passes on a sentence for the two of them."

Tom stared at Dean Miller in disbelief as he looked back at Alexia George. His heart sank again as he thought of her innocence being stolen from her by Darren Thompson. He crumbled inside as he thought of how the juvenile prison changed and destroyed good people. He wanted so badly to protect her from the evils of the world. To shield her from the damage that was immanent in a place like that. He wanted to be sick as he thought of the time he did in juvenile lock up. "The Hammer…" it was a nightmare he didn't even want to imagine her delicate spirit being confined to.

"Officer Hanson." The commanding voice of the court's Bailiff cut into Hanson's thoughts.

"Yes sir." Hanson responded.

"You're to accompany me to Judge Byron's chambers." He stated. His presence was almost intimidating. He was dark skinned with a shaved bald head. His piercing eyes seemed almost a warning to any potential problematic people. He turned his attention one more time to the young woman whose future was in his hands. She smiled again as Doug and Angie stood on either side of her. Doug put an arm around her shoulder as she took a deep breath. It appeared that Darren and Lexi were going to be able to stand around and wait for the Judge and Tom to finish.

"Sure…" Tom felt Dean pat him on the shoulder as he turned and walked with the big man to the judge's chambers.

--

Tom was escorted directly into the judge's chambers when Judge Byron sat reading through a folder.

"Officer Hanson…" The judge stood up and walked over to the officer.

"Yes sir." Tom acknowledged.

"How are you feeling young man? I see that you have had quite the ordeal."

"Yes sir." Tom agreed with the older man.

"Officer Hanson… I know that Dean told you that the jury has already reached a decision in this case. They haven't revealed it yet as I still wanted to talk to you before I placed sentence on these two. I really want to know how you feel about them."

"I'm not sure what you mean Judge Byron." Hanson responded. He leaned forward in his chair wringing his hands as the two tried to feel each other out.

"Tom… may I call you Tom?" The judge asked.

"Sure." Hanson replied.

"Tom… there is a boy out there who should… how do I say this politely? Go straight to death row. That's just my opinion. There is also a young girl out there who I think took a whole lot of abuse but helped him in the initial planning and execution of this whole caper."

Tom sat quietly for a moment before he responded. _What did Dean mean by she wanted to be held responsible. Didn't she know how much she had meant to him? How he knew he wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her. Didn't she know anything?_

It was then Tom Hanson opened up about the few days he spent as a prisoner to Darren Thompson and how Alexia George stood up for his well being.

**Well it's your turn... probably could have added more, but oh well, you will either like it or not! Please read and review!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Enjoy... I know it's short, but you'll all survive! Later...**

**Chapter 19**

Hanson cringed as the judge re-entered the courtroom again. Once he was seated and the jury was seated he then asked the jury if they had reached their decision. He had known that they had, in fact he had known what it was but he was waiting until he heard from Tom Hanson before he decided on what the penalty for their crime should be.

Tom watched uncomfortably as the verdict was handed to the bailiff on a slip of white paper. The strong arm of the courtroom than carried the slip of paper over to the judge who read it with an unrevealing expression and then folded it back up and had it returned to the jury. Once it was returned to the jury foreman he then turned and looked at Lexi and Darren.

"Would the defendants please rise." His voice was unwavering as he watched the two young people rise to their feet.

Hanson felt himself tense as he watched Darren and Lexi stand. He could see her hands tremble as she stood next to her lawyer. He watched in awe as Darren stared straight ahead in smug cool confidence.

_Hanson could remember the day the verdict was read in his case. There was no confidence only fear. It had gripped his entire body as the judge and the jury foreman had taken their time to read the dreaded verdict. When the words "GUILTY" had hit his ears he thought for sure that his stomach had fallen to his feet. He could recall the gasp of air as it had slipped through his lips when they told him he would be serving time in general population at the jail. He was sure a couple of times that someone was going to cut his life short. It really was some of the most terrifying time in his short life._

"Would the jury please read the verdict?" The judge asked in a commanding manor.

A tall man in a grey pinstripe suit stood he put his brown square framed glasses onto his aged face. His grey/blue eyes resigned to show the days of weariness that had taken their toll on him and the others around him. He took a deep breath and then read the paper he held in his withered hands.

"We the Jury find the defendants Darren Thompson and Alexia George guilty."

--

The room was silent as Lexi let out a tear filled gasp. Hanson felt the same gasp escape his lips as he watched her lawyer place a steadying hand around her waist. There was a hand on his shoulder. Tom turned to see Dean Miller and Adam Fuller directly behind him. Tom gripped the handles of his seat as he listened to Lexi's parents grumble in hushed tones from three seats down to his right.

"How are we going to face everyone tomorrow?" Her mother whispered loudly.

"We won't." Her father grunted as he continued to glare forward.

"I knew that boy was trouble." She sneered.

--

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I thank you for your time and service… you are dismissed."

Judge Byron allowed the twelve members of the jury to file out of the room and return to their everyday lives following the announcement of guilt in the direction of the defendants. Once the jury box was empty he looked back at the two young adults who were standing in front of him. He glanced at the male who had a look of sheer evil blazing from his ice blue stare. He then looked at the pitiful state that Lexi was in as she dried her eyes with a tissue while she tried to put on a brave face. It was obvious to him that the two were as different as night and day in how they handled what they had done wrong. He lifted a file and thumbed through it and then adjusted his glasses on his face and looked directly at Darren Thompson.

"Mr. Thompson I am ashamed of what you have done and with the life you were so generously handed. This is only the beginning of a long line of crimes that you have to answer for." The judge began in a stern authoritative tone. "You are the son of a police officer…"

"You know what; my father wasn't much of a father to me anyways…" Darren interrupted.

The room fell into silence as the judge slammed his gavel into the surface of his desk.

"Young man I am not going to ask you to remain silent again." The judge condemned.

Darren let out the pouting sigh of a child who was about to throw a temper tantrum. The judge raised an eyebrow at the outburst and then proceeded to lay out his sentence.

"You are going to serve twenty-five years for this caper. There are additional trial dates to come as you are still going on trial for other reasons which I do not need to reiterate at this time." Darren watched ahead coldly at the judge who then looked at Lexi. "Miss George, I need not tell you how disappointed we are in the fact that you had a hand in this at all. In fact the town had very high hopes for you. You were looking at a three year…"

"What the… three years… fuck that shit! She had just as much a hand in this as I did…" Darren charged the bench in an explosion of anger. Lexi's lawyer shoved Lexi towards the wall where Tom Hanson caught her in a protective hug. Dean Miller, Dennis Booker and Doug Penhall with the help of Adam Fuller and several other guards jumped into action in an effort to subdue the angry man. Hanson ducked between Lexi and her lawyer as Booker and Penhall both leapt at Darren. It didn't take anytime before he was overpowered by the many guards and police officers who had been placed in the courtroom. Once he was secured he was dragged kicking and screaming out of the room.

--

Hanson watched as Darren was taken to the floor and then taken out of the room. He held the trembling young woman in his arms and then lightened his grip on her.

"You ok?" He asked her. He could smell the faint floral smell of shampoo in her silky tresses. Beneath his hands and along his body he could feel her trembling.

"Y-Yeah… I'm… okay. Thanks Tommy." She whispered to the officer letting out a deep shaky breath.

The drama in the room settled to nothing as the judge hit his gavel on the rigid surface of his desktop.

"Come to order!" He shouted.

"Come on." Hanson stated as he escorted the woman over to her lawyer who patted her on the shoulder.

"You okay?" He asked gently.

"Fine… I-I'm okay… just a little shaken." She smiled at the two men as Tom Hanson took one final look at her as Booker and Penhall tapped him on the shoulder and the three men walked back to their seats directly behind the defendant.

"Now… Miss George… are you alright?"

"Yes sir." She responded shyly.

"Good. I came in here today ready to hand down a sentence of three years at the Metro Juvenile Center for girls. Upon your twentieth birthday you then would have been sent over to the Women's State Correctional Facility..."

The audible gasp could be heard all through the room. Hanson clutched at his knees digging his nails into his skin. He felt sick as he heard the words three year and Women's Correctional Facility in the same sentence. She was a misguided girl… barley a woman. She needed him… she needed to be protected from the evil in the world not thrusted into it. From where he sat he could see her clutching the arm of her lawyer who wrapped his arm around her small waist as she fought to keep her feet underneath her.

"Fortunately for you Officer Tom Hanson seems to think that you were the victim of influence and bad judgment. You are very fortunate that man is willing to save you two of those years. You were still seventeen years old and able to determine the difference between wrong and right. In fact you didn't ask for special treatment, nor did you make any deals to try and get out of this. For that you will be serving one year in the Metro Juvenile Correctional Facility for Girls. Use this time to better yourself. You will be nearly nineteen when you are released and this will be a chance to become the person you should be. Following that time you will be required to complete three months of probation. You can still recover from your mistakes…Good luck young lady. That's all… court is adjourned." That said Judge Byron wrapped the gavel on the surface again and the bailiff announced that all should rise as the judge left to room.

Hanson pushed past the people as they milled around the room. He tried to get over to where the guards were chaining Lexi up to remove her from the room.

"Lexi…" his voice was muffled by the sounds of the room.

She then lifted her tear stained face to see him.

"Please… let me say something to her… please" Hanson shoved past another person.

Lexi stopped in front of Tom who stepped up to the railing reaching his hand out to her. She took it and smiled. Here eyes were red with tears.

"Thanks Tommy… knowing you was worth all of this…" She tried to smile through the tears as he reached out and took her hand in his only to have her pulled away.


	20. Chapter 20

**Sorry it took so long. I am almost done. This is turning out to be longe than I thought it would be. FYH... this is starting to become what you want... I think:-) Everyone else, ENJOY!**

**Chapter 20**

Hanson felt like a he was removed from his body as he left the courtroom that day and continued into his life. He knew that justice was served but he felt like he had let Lexi down. With all that she had gone through the last thing he wanted for her was one year. A lot could happen in that one year. She was seventeen and would turn eighteen in just over a week. She would graduate high school. She was going to miss that... all of that. His heart ached as he though about her. Why had a simple seventeen year old stuck out so much to him? She was just like any other seventeen year old high school girl… only she wasn't. There was so much more to her, he wanted to protect her from the evil all around her. He wanted to tell her it would be ok. He wanted to do for her what she had done for him those terrible days of torture he had endured.

Days went into weeks as the second trial for Darren Thompson came and went. Hanson, Penhall and Booker had been called in to answer questions from the prosecution and defense. They had examined Tom over and over about what had happened to instigate the attempted murder of Tom Hanson. The only solace Hanson found in all of this was the brief sight of Lexi George as they brought her in to be questioned by the prosecution and the defense. She had been brought in wearing chains and an orange jumpsuit. Hanson's heart dropped through the floor when she walked in. She looked so tired. She had looked out in the crowd as she took her seat on the witness chair, catching Tom's chocolate brown eyes with her sapphire blue eyes. She lit up and smiled at the young cop. He had not been able to see her due to the restrictions placed on visitors for the first few months. He wanted to badly to do something… anything for her when she turned eighteen. All he was able to do was send a measly card hoping that it would make it to her.

The hardest part was her being so close and not be able to even say "hi". He could nearly reach out and touch her but she was so far away from him that all he could do watch as she was marched in like an irresponsible delinquent. A wrongdoer who was nothing but a menace to society; but she was nothing like that. She had endured so much, more than Hanson was sure that he could have taken on for a person who was little more than a stranger to him just hours before. She had made the mistake and paid for the mistake many times over why was she still in the custody of the state? If only they really knew… what she had done to save him. He had told the judge everything in hopes of saving Lexi from the pain of prison time. He knew that he had saved her from a three year stretch but even a year seemed like too much.

In the end the judge gave Darren twenty-five years for each of his victims, and another fifteen years for kidnapping and nearly killing Hanson. In total he was going to serve ninety years. It didn't seem like long enough for all that he had put Tom, Lexi and numerous others including murdering Kirk Davis but the judge did seal the deal with a no chance of parole. He would live out his life in maximum security.

--

"It is so hard to watch you boys leave." Angie felt the tears starting to flow again.

She had fought long and hard to try not to cry again. She and Dean had fixed a big meal for the three officers. The two had wanted to send them off with as much of a thank you as they could muster up. The five had sat and eaten until they were all sure they would explode. They then made their way over to the lawn chairs that Dean had set out by the make shift camp fire. Angie had sat down next to Dean and had cuddled into his side watching the glow of the embers as an occasional pop of the wood had kept the group glued to the warmth of the fire.

"Tell you what Angie… you can come to my place anytime. I don't know what I'm gonna do when I have to go back to cooking for myself." Booker stated as he rubbed his swollen stomach.

"Same thing I'm gonna do pizza and Rocket Dog's." Penhall stated as he finished the last of a bottle of beer.

"Ugh…" Booker commented.

"You need another one?" Dean asked standing and walking to the large cooler sitting by the tree.

"Yeah… I'm off duty and I think Booker here needs one too." Doug laughed.

"Tommy… you ready for another?" Booker asked.

"No… not right now." Hanson responded.

Tom Hanson stood up and walked away from the fire as Penhall and Booker had gotten into a contest with Dean to see who could tell the biggest fish story about their years of service. Normally Hanson would have laughed and had to tell his but right now his mind was on someone else.

Angie smiled at Dean as the two stood up and walked in different directions. She approached the officer who was headed back to the front of the house and the tire swing he had sat in so many times contemplating his life. He had fallen in love with the quiet peace of Waylon County. He loved Angie and Dean his new found family. They had become so important to him. He just could not imagine going home to the normal noise and turmoil of big city life. He wanted to stay in the quiet peace that was surrounding him. He had leaned over onto the lonely swing. He sighed deeply to himself as he watched the moon shadowing the split wood rails of the fence next door to the perfect country home of Dean and Angie Miller.

Tom could here the footsteps behind him before he could loose himself in thoughts of the past. He knew that Angie had followed him around the house. She knew him so well. She also knew what he was thinking as he turned to meet her eyes.

Angie reached up and placed her soft gentle hand on his cool face. The tips of her fingers gently brushed the light purple almost yellow hued bruise on his cheek.

"Tommy you have to let this go. You can't continue to blame yourself for something that is beyond your control. You did your best and you really did help her." Angie's words were right. He had helped Lexi but it still hurt to think of himself on the outside of the walls breathing in the cool air, drinking a beer and laughing with friend while she sat in a cell watching the walls and sleeping with her eyes open, hoping nobody would hurt her while she slept.

"It hurts… I…" Hanson lifted his face to the moon closing his eyes as he took a deep healing breath.

"I want to see her but I'm not sure that she will want me to." Hanson finished. His thoughts were so deeply rooted on the beautiful teen who had risked her life and taken mind numbing abuse for him. Why had she done that for him? She was so special… she was someone special to him.

"Tommy I'm sure you could go see her. All you need to do is contact the Warden; she'll get it set up." Angie smiled knowing full well what else was on Hanson's heart. She could see the feelings that had grown on him. She knew the girl was special when she met her the first time and now she could see the officer fighting feelings that he shouldn't have for her.

"She turned eighteen last week didn't she?" Angie asked.

"Yeah." Tom responded.

"Go see her. She needs your support. He mother and father have moved out of town. In fact I think that they put all of her belongings into storage and left a key for Lex when she gets out. She needs you Tommy." Angie smiled at the officer.

Tom closed his eyes as Angie's hand ran through his hair and then back to his cheek. He could feel the tear slipping through his closed eye and then gliding down his cheek. He didn't want the tear to fall he had fought so hard to stop it. It was the feeling in his stomach and the hand on his face that had forced the tear to fall. He took a ragged breath as he opened his eyes and another tear streaked down his face.

"I'm not supposed to feel like this Angie. She's so young and I'm… I'm a police officer who is not supposed to feel like this. She's… I'm…" Hanson threw his hands up in the air and then walked over to the tree where he slid down the gnarled trunk and closed his eyes burying his face in his hands.

Angie took her cue to walk over to the young officer and remind him of a few things.

"Tommy…" She took his hands away from his face and lifted his chin to look in his eyes. "Look at me baby."

The officer lifted his chin and opened his bloodshot orbs to look at her. She was so beautiful to him. Her warm smiled just melted him every time he felt lost. When life was out of control he could turn to her.

"You're a human being Tom and she is a beautiful woman. She saved your life and you saved hers. It's ok for you to have these feelings."

"I'm a police officer… I can't… I just can't. She younger and… this isn't right." Hanson gritted his teeth as he tried to deny his feelings.

"Tom… you can't fight it if that is what you feel. Go and see her. See how she feels before you push these feelings aside. You may be the one thing that see's her through this without falling apart."

Angie's words made sense, but he knew that she didn't need him dropping his feelings on her. Tom shook his head at the Angie who kissed the officer on the forehead. She ran her hand across his face again as she leaned against his shoulder. Her hair smelled of fruit or coconuts. Her scent was complimented by the clean night air. Tom laid his own head on hers as she took his bigger hand in his.

"Tommy… I'd be lying if I said that I was going to be ok without you boys here."

Hanson looked over at Angie who was looking up at the stars in the nighttime sky. Her lips pursed as she got lost in her own thoughts. The comment was off the path the two had been heading down. He had forgotten just how hard tomorrow was going to be. They were going to be saying good bye and heading back to the big city. Back to noise and concrete. The wind and grind of Jump Street Chapel, he really did miss seeing Judy and Ioki and Captain Fuller. He really missed the tasteless jokes that would blurt out of Blowfish's lips. It had been so long since they had all had a beer together at the bowling alley.

"I'm not sure how we will make it without you." Hanson whispered.

"I love you Tommy." Angie stammered through tears that seemed to be flowing freely. Hanson wrapped her arms around her shoulders. This time it was his turn to comfort her. He started to remember all the time they had spent together. The laughs they had shared, the meals they had eaten together and the bonding that had happened as each had had a brush with trauma. Tears continued to creep up on Tom Hanson as he felt the sting of warm liquid flow down his cheek again. He wrapped his arms around her trembling body pulling her close to his chest.

"I love you too… Aunt Angie." He whispered kissing her softly on the forehead.

**Your turn... REVIEW! Thanks again and have a great weekend!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Well, this almost didn't happen as the backlash from Ike has hit Ohio. We were nearly blown away with the 90 mile an hour wind gusts. I know that is noting like what they had in Texas, but it is pretty bad for us. You would have thought you were getting beaten by Tornados all day... It was quite the adventure and I think I am going to build a story around it later... Hope you like this chapter:-) **

**Chapter 21**

Tom sat in his apartment avoiding what he had wanted and waited for so long to do. He had decided to finally go and see her. Lexi had been in juvenile holding for four months and was now officially a legal consenting adult. This couldn't be this easy. This was a recipe for disaster . He would tell himself. She was too perfect for him but he was the reason she was in jail now. She had done her part in taking him hostage. She had helped her boyfriend only to be violently abused. She had done her part to try and help him. She had let him hurt her so badly.

He had put on a tie and a suit jacket with his blue jeans and white dress shirt. His hair brushed lightly back with his bangs falling across the top of his forehead. He sat in the chair in front of the television watching the window as the cartoons played across the television screen. He rested his chin on the tips of his finger as he bit his bottom lip and thought about her and how perfect she was to him; her lips, her eyes, her smile. He remembered the way she smelled as he held her in his arms her hair falling around her face as she slept. He had held her as she cried herself to sleep after realizing Darren had used her as an excuse to eliminate people in his way. She had broken down in his arms. It had been a struggle to hold it together and not kiss her perfect lips as she lay sleeping in his arms. She had danced in his head ever since that moment. It had been so hard to go into the judges chambers knowing that when he came out she was going to go to jail. He had known that she would have to serve time, but why a year? Why?

He struggled with the idea of her and he so much that he had gone to his mother for help. She was the only one he knew outside of Angela Miller who would understand. At least he hoped that she would understand. Who wants their son to come home and tell you that they fell in love with the girl they put in jail?

--

_Margarete Hanson watched as her son son pushed the peas from one side of his plate to the other as he continued to battle his inner feelings. She had watched him bottle up the pain of Waylon County and the girl who had stole his heart. It hurt to watch him punish himself as he tried to deny his feeling for her._

_"Mom... I just don't know what to do. I mean I am the reason she is in jail now. She... I mean what would dad have done?"_

_Margarete Hanson stood up and walked over to there her son sat pushing the green orbs around his plate like a fiver year old who didn't want to finish his vegetables but wanted his desert. She sat down in the chair next to his and put her thumb and forefinger under his chin and lifted it so he would look her in the eyes. She then brushed her free hand through his hair and then rested against his cheek. She pursed her lips as she realized the pain that continued to torment her son. He was holding all of the world on his shoulders._

_"Honey... I don't think your father ever had to go through this, but I think he would have followed his heart." She smiled as he looked down at his plate and then sniffled as he brought his eyes up to meet hers._

_"I-I think I love her mom." He nearly whispered. _

_"I know." She responded quietly._

_"But I can't mom. I... she... it's wrong." His eyes pleaded with her understanding glance._

_"Tommy, love is never wrong when it's right." _

--

Tom took a deep breath as he started to stand up walking over to the sink opening the cabinet and pulling a glass out. His stomach flipped as he turned the tap on and took a long drink from the clear glass. He set the glass back onto the counter and then leaned heavily looking into the sink at the dishes from the previous night. He watched as the water dripped onto the ketchup stains and ran down the smooth surface to the edge and then dripped onto the white porcelain of the sink. He licked his lips and took a deep breath as he reached over and picked up his keys.

She had asked him to come and see him for two months now and today he was going to. He just hoped that she would allow him to since he had not responded to her second letter. He had sent her a birthday card and then another letter after he received a thank you note for it. He had not had the strength to go and see her. He had not wanted to explain to the rest why he was talking to her. His mother and Angela Miller were the only two who seemed to understand how much she meant to him. He thought he might be able to tell Judy but to even begin to explain it to Doug or Dennis just seemed like a bad Idea. Harry might understand, he seemed to understand everything. He always seemed keyed into what was going on in the world around him. Fuller... hell he would probably find himself in front of a review board if he even suggested to him that he was talking to Lexi George.

--

Tom took a deep breath as he slid the cold metal of the key into the ignition. The V-8 motor roared as it sparked to life. He gunned the gas as he sat in the parking lot outside of his apartment building. Her face seemed to be jumping into his thoughts again. He could not shake her as he looked down at the steering wheel in front of him.

_What the hell Hanson... you've been with girls before. What the hell is so special about her? She suffered for you... well you suffered for her. She bugged the hell out of you when you met her. All you ever wanted to do was get the hell away from her and here you are going to see her in jail. Admit it Hanson... you're hoping that she will come out and tell you that she isn't interested and... Tom... she had eight months to go. Stop this for now, just go see her and help her to deal with the jail thing and that'll be it. No more Lexi, Lexi, Lexi._

"What the hell am I doing? I'm a fucking cop... why can't I get you out of my head?" Hanson scolded himself.

He threw the car in gear and drove off in the direction of the Metro Juvenal Correctional Facility for Girls.

--

"Tom." Her voice was so spectacular as she said his name.

Tom Hanson turned to find himself face to face with an angel. She walked over to him tears streaming down her face. Her blue eyes glistened as she reached out to shake his hand, her skin was soft against his. He loved how his name sounded as it slipped over her tongue and through her full lips. She was so beautiful. Her hair was shorter and the highlights that stood out so much against her still lightly sun kissed skin were gone. She still looked amazing. She took his breath away as she smiled shyly. She looked down at her feet and then bit her lip as Tom looked back at her. He took a deep breath and smiled back.

"You look amazing." He stumbled through his words as the two sat down at a table across from each other.

"I don't feel amazing, and I am not sure I will wear orange ever again." She stated raising an eyebrow.

"They treating you okay?" Hanson asked looking into her eyes. Those glorious eyes had him captivated again. She looked so great.

"Yeah... um... its a little cold at night, but I'm okay. I am going to get to graduate early." She smiled at the officer.

"I've heard. The warden says that you are doing an amazing job. He said that you started a music program for the others."

"Yeah... I really missed it. Miss H, she came by and we've organized everything to get instruments and old music to play. She really has been awesome to me." Lexi smiled her eyes were aglow with enthusiasm.

"That's great... When did you cut your hair? It looks nice." Hanson smiled back at her. His heart sank inside as he thought about how dumb he must sound to her. She was so beautiful and he couldn't think of anything better to say then her short hair looked nice.

"I cut it a couple of months ago. The beauty school comes in once a month and does our hair if we are good. I was able to get mine done. I only cut it so that I wouldn't have to deal with it in here. I want to let it grow back out when I am out of here." She smiled as she ran her fingers through the sleek layered locks.

"How are your mom and dad taking everything?" Hanson asked he had remembered from her letters that her mom and dad hadn't come in to see her since she was first brought in.

"I think they've moved." She looked down at her feet. "I tried to call the other day and the operator said the number had been changed and was not available. I know I let them down." She sniffled as she reached up to wipe away the tear on her cheek. "Mom said she was done with me Tom... she said that dad couldn't handle the stress and they weren't going to be able to come in anymore... so I called to talk to them." Her mood was so stressed and guarded now.

Hanson wanted to reach out and hold her and kiss her. He wanted to brush the tears away from her face like he had that day a lifetime ago. He wanted to give her the innocence she had lost back. He longed to feel her in his arms. He wanted to hold her tightly and protect her from the world.

"Times up." The words were like a lightning bolt. It ripped through him as he closed his eyes. He didn't want to leave without telling her how he felt. He wasn't sure he could wait eight months to tell her how he felt.

The two stood up as the officer walked in and took her by the arm.

"Wait please." She asked. "Officer Hanson..."

"Yeah." Tom answered.

The young girl pulled away from the guard and walked over to the officer wrapping her arms around his waist. Hanson took a deep breath and swallowed hard. He could feel her trembling against his body. He wrapped his arms around her small body placing his chin on her head. His stomach leaped as he felt her warmth all over his being. He closed his eyes and fought to keep the tears back that were prying to get out. She smelled to good... her hair... it smelled like flowers.

"Thank you for every thing." She whispered.

The guard looked at the girl and then at the officer as the young woman pulled away from him slowly.

"I'm sorry Alexia... time's up."

Lexi shook her head and let the officer take her by the arm and place the metal cuffs on her wrists and wrap them around her back. She looked down as the officer looked slowly back at her a knot forming in the back of his throat. The pain struck him hard as they lead her away from him.

"Please don't forget me." She stated as she walked out the door and down the hall. She stopped in front of the glass window looking back. She was then moved along by the officer.

"I won't." Hanson replied in a whisper. His heart sank as he watched his Lexi lead down the hall and back into the lions den.

**Please let me know what you think. **


	22. Chapter 22

**This is the final Chapter of Vengeance... this is for all to enjoy, but this is dedicated to FYH this was all you baby! I hope it satisifes your wants, LOL!! Enjoy...**

**Vengeance Epilogue**

Eight Months Later

Hanson sat nervously in the front seat of his electric blue Ford Mustang waiting for something... anything to happen. He had been told that Lexi would be released at noon. It was now one in the afternoon and still no sign of her. He was going to surprise her and pick her up. He was finally going to spill it all to her. He couldn't bottle it up anymore. The timing was perfect... Dennis was getting married, he was walking his fiancé down the aisle and he needed a date. He had taken Judy to pick out a dress for her to where to the wedding and he was going to tell the world how he felt about Alexia George. Judy nearly jumped out of her skin as he told her that he was thinking of taking Lexi to Booker's wedding.

--

_"Is that legal?" She asked._

_"Jude, she's almost nineteen. I think that I am safe." Hanson responded._

_"Wow... I never thought that you of all people would fall for the bad girl. Your so straight laced and everything. Wow... I pictured Dennis telling me something like this, not you." _

_"Well, she's not a bad girl she was mislead and she has almost paid her debt to society." Hanson stated defending the girl._

_"Good point. She's really beautiful and quite perfect for you." Judy winked back at Tom Hanson who then blushed as he went back to his desk smiling as he thought of how close he was to seeing her again._

--

He was starting to fear that he had missed her. Tom wanted to give her a ride to her apartment. It was right down the street from his. So in fact close that it made him nearly giddy with nerves and happy thoughts.

Hanson had gone to the supervisor of the building and explained the situation to him. He and the supervisor had been friends for years so giving a job to someone based on Tom Hanson's recommendation was nothing new. He had helped out a couple of kids whom Tom felt deserved a second chance as they were being released from lock up. He had agreed to let her live there for a lowered cost if she would do janitorial tasks around the building. He was also going to pay her for her time. Tom had been excited to write to her and tell her what was going on. She had responded happily jumping at the chance to go into a job and a place of her own.

He was fidgeting again as the doors to the facility opened and Lexi walked down the steps. Her stride was long and slow. She wore a pair of dark denim jeans, a blue tank top and long red sweater. She carried a bag and a purse as she walked towards the bus stop and set her bag down on the bench. She dug a key out of her pocket as Tom Hanson opened his car door and stepped his foot out on the ground. He had on his denim jeans and black vest over top of his white t-shirt he had thrown on his brown leather jacket as he thought maybe he would get a little chilled in the early fall breeze. He held a small single white and yellow daisy in his hand as he walked towards the unsuspecting female.

She was more pail in color than he remembered. Her tan had faded away but her hair had grown out. Her dark auburn locks brushed her shoulders and blew in strands in the cool breeze. She was still fumbling with the key as he reached out and lay his hand gently on her shoulder. She gasped as she turned to see who was there touching her.

"Tom... hi... Oh my GOD.. you look so... I... what are you doing here?" She stammered. Her eyes lit up as she smiled at the man in front of her.

"Um... I-I thought... maybe... well what I mean is... if... you don't have one maybe I could take you there. That is if you want to." Hanson's words sounded like they had come from the mouth of a thirteen year old asking out his first crush. He was sure he couldn't have sounded any dumber to her.

Her brilliant smile spread across her lips as her eyes lit up. Her laugh was small and precious to him. She had grabbed his heart so easily. Why couldn't he just say what he wanted to? All he had to do was tell her... that's it... but she could say no.

"Take me where?" She asked furrowing her brow.

"Home... I would like to take you home. To your home! I mean... not mine... right now." He felt like such a nerd. Did he really sound like "Rainman?"

She smiled as he looked down at the ground and then back at her. He raised an eyebrow as he smiled his brightest "I'm cool but nervous" smile for her. His eyes caught hers and she bit her bottom lip.

_GOD I love that... _he thought to himself ashis stomach did a flip while he watched her.

"I would like that." She answered in a near whisper. She too looked down at her feet shyly.

"Here... this is for you." Tom's eyes widened as he pushed the daisy towards her. He remembered the day she had said that daises were her favorite. She had told him that in their English class on the first day of school. He remembered how she said no guy she had ever dated had ever gotten that right. They always brought her roses and as much as she loved them daisy's were always her favorite.

"You remembered." She looked at the flower and took the small blossom in her hand. carefully she ran her dainty fingers softly over the velvety petals in the palm of her hand. "I haven't seen one in so long. It's beautiful." She murmured.

"There's something else." Tom Hanson stated.

"What?"

"Something.. I really needed to talk to you... I mean... your eighteen right?" Hanson inquired.

"And three quarters. I'll be nineteen in three months. You know that." She laughed.

"Good... I mean... crap..." Hanson fumbled with his words again as he shifted his weight nervously.

"What do you want Tom?" Lexi asked confused. She watched the officer behaving unnaturally in front of her. She was worried that he was about to tell her that he no longer could help her and that she was on her own starting now. She licked her lips as she watched the officer take a deep breath and run his fingers through his hair.

"This..." he grabbed the unsuspecting girl and pulled her to his body. Lexi let out a gasp as he kissed her long and hard. He pushed his lips onto hers his stomach flipping as he closed his eyes to the pleasure that engulfed him. The moment felt like an explosion of perfection as he pulled her tighter towards him her body lying fully against his own. Her slight movement of wrapping her arms around her neck indicating the desire to continue as the slightest noise escaping from her lips drove Hanson mad with desire.

After a time the two separated. Lexi lifted her fingers tips to her lips brushing them gently while staring at the man in front of her. Hanson stood breathing heavily mouth agape with fear that he had done something wrong. He licked his lips as she smiled.

"Say something... please..." Hanson begged.

"You waited long enough." She laughed.

"I've wanted to do that for over a year now." Hanson added.

"I've been wishing you would for longer." She raised her eyebrows at the officer who chuckled as he looked around.

"Uh I thought that maybe you might want to go get some dinner or something?" Hanson suggested.

"Tom I've thought about something for about six months or so. Maybe if you're okay we can get some Rocket Dogs and go bowling or something? They're my favorite and I've really been craving one for a long time." She asked this time holding her breath as she waited for the typical "Ugh... Rocket Dogs and bowling... I thought you were girl." That she would get from most of the guys she had dated.

Tom laughed again as he looked down at her and asked, "Is it too early to ask you to marry me?"

"Maybe... but I won't hold that against you." She winked.

"Listen Dennis is getting married and I am giving the bride away... so would you be my date?" Hanson asked.

Your brother Dennis... I mean the other officer?" She asked confused.

"Yes... Dennis Booker. They know all about you and they are ready to get to know you. I promise your going to..."

"Tom..."

"Yeah Lexi?"

"Could you stop talking long enough to kiss me again if I say yes?" Lexi raised her eyebrows again as she questioned the officer again.

Hanson laughed and looked around the street his brown eyes concentrating on nothing in particular. He licked his lips as he wrapped his left hand around her tiny waist and lifted her chin with his right hand. He then pulled her svelte body against his and holding her as tightly as he could her parted his lips and lost himself in the pleasure of such an intimate and amazing moment. This time he made sure that she would not forget the first time she asked for a kiss from the officer.

**I hope you liked the story... now go and read The Lost, it was suposed to be written after this one but I just couldn't keep that one in any longer. I am going to go and revamp some sections in it later so keep your eye open. Thanks to all who read and reviewed this story, you mean the world to me. Don't worry Dean and Angie will not be going away forever and I am going to work on the rest of "My Brothers Keeper" and for those of you reading my Jeremiah story I am still working on it too:-) Later Thanks a million to all of you... Firebunee**


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